Operation: Rescue
by cloverfire19
Summary: Cloud and the others must save Reeve, but time is not on their side with the secrets Vincent is hiding from them. Rated for content. Already posted on Mediaminer.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

The air was hot and dry as she ran the back of her hand across her forehead, wiping away the sweat, and smudging dirt across her face. Frowning, she pulled the gardening glove from her hand, tossing it to the ground at her feet. She looked up as a shadow fell over her, and when she recognized her friend, she smiled.

"Hey, Vince, what's up?" she greeted. She watched as his gaze drifted from her dirty face to the flowers she had been planting all day.

"I see you've been busy," he commented quietly.

She nodded, looking proudly at the daisies she had managed not to kill yet. "Yep," she said, getting to her feet. She dusted off her hands, picking up her gloves and her gardening tools. "What brings you out here?"

He was silent for a moment as they walked back toward the house, before he glanced at her. "I was summoned," he said after a moment. "Do you know why? I could not glean any information from Cloud."

Tifa shook her head, smiling slightly. "Cloud's Cloud," she said thoughtfully. She too was silent as they stepped inside the air conditioned kitchen. "That is quite odd, though."

Vincent glanced at her, waiting expectantly for her to continue.

"Why, just yesterday he mentioned that he had talked to Reeve," she said slowly, seemingly putting two and two together. "Perhaps he has a job for us."

Vincent frowned slightly. "Perhaps," he said softly, shifting his gaze to the door, as if hearing someone coming.

Tifa followed his gaze, surprised when she indeed did hear footsteps a moment later. "In the kitchen," she called, recognizing Cloud's long strides. She smiled as he appeared in the doorway, not surprised to see Vincent.

"Hey, Vince," he said, getting some water and sitting at the table as well. He avoided looking at Vincent as he took a sip. "How was the trip?"

Vincent's frown deepened. "I would appreciate it if you would enlighten me as to why you requested my presence," he said quietly. "I have little time to waste exchanging idle pleasantries."

Tifa turned to glance at her usually stoic friend, wondering what had put him in such a foul mood. She shifted her honey-gold gaze back to Cloud, noticing an equally confused expression in his glittering blue eyes. Eventually the silence and curiosity got the best of her. "What _did_ you ask him to come here for?" she asked softly, watching him carefully.

Cloud shifted, taking his phone from his pocket. "Reeve called the other day," he said slowly, gathering his thoughts. "He said something about a breech in one of the northern plants. He said he and a unit were on their way to Nibelheim to examine it and determine if it was a serious threat to the reconstruction." He set his phone on the table, turning it to face them, with its face open. "I received this picture yesterday. It was sent from Reeve's phone."

Tifa leaned forward slightly, trying to make out the blurred image. She gasped when she realized what it was, and she looked at her silent friend, who was still beside her. "What is this?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"I contacted Cid and Barrett," Cloud said, taking the phone back and closing it. "Cid informed me that Shelke is still traveling with him, and he asked her about it. She did a net dive and discovered that a portion of Deep Ground is still on the loose. Apparently a rogue band of them has captured Reeve and a number of WRO troops. She managed to locate their base and was in the process of retrieving some of the floor plans, when a virus corrupted the airship's computer system, shutting it down. All we know is that Reeve is in danger."


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

**_Several Hours Later_**

Tifa sighed as she sat down at one of the tables in the galley. She closed her eyes, letting her forehead rest in her hand. She groaned softly, trying to fight down the headache she had. She just didn't think she could stand it anymore. Yuffie had to shut up eventually, didn't she? She supposed it was lucky they were on the ship, because as soon as they left Edge, Yuffie started feeling sick and became rather quiet. And what was up with Vincent and Cloud? The tension between those two was killing her. And of course, Cid wasn't helping either, with the way he was going on about how they should learn to get along more. She smiled softly despite herself as she shook her head. Even though it tired her out, she wouldn't have it any other way.

She looked up slowly as she heard footsteps coming toward the galley door. She recognized them as Vincent's, knowing the long, hesitant gait of his. She met his gaze as the door slid open, and she gave him a half-hearted smile. "Hey Vince," she said softly, her hazel eyes tired.

Vincent arched a brow as he stepped into the galley. "Are you ill?" he asked, the door closing behind him.

Tifa shook her head, looking away. "No, I'm fine," she said.

Vincent stepped toward her, his arms crossed in front of him. "You are unusually placid today," he said, watching her carefully. She watched him smirk a little. "Especially when you were speaking with Yuffie."

Tifa's gaze narrowed slightly, a slight smile on her face. "Oh, you noticed," she said, looking away.

He walked to the table, pulling a chair out and sitting across from her. "I was not the only one," he said. "Cloud seems to be quite concerned as well."

Tifa laughed softly, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she stared out the window of the _Shera. _"He worries about everything all the time," she said quietly. She let her gaze blur as she thought about the mission ahead of them. It wasn't as if they had never rescued anyone before, or as if they didn't know how to fight Deep Ground, but something was nagging at her. Something inside her was scared, and she didn't know why. She just had a premonition, and it was making her sick, worrying over something she didn't even know about yet.

"There is something bothering you," Vincent said quietly, his voice bringing her from her thoughts.

Tifa straightened, her hazels eyes focusing on him. It hadn't been a question.

His crimson gaze held her hazel eyes. He said nothing, but his look spoke volumes. Tifa looked away, feeling slightly guilty.

"Do you ever have feelings, Vince?" she asked softly, unable to look at him.

She could hear the expression on his face in his voice. "Feelings?"

"You know," she said through a sigh, looking up at him. "A premonition?" She looked down at her hands, which were clasped on the table in front of her. "I just had this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something bad is going to happen."

Vincent's shoulders straightened a little as his gaze became unreadable. "What makes you think that?" he asked quietly.

Tifa gave a bashful smile, looking away. "I don't know," she said, letting her head rest in her hands again. "It's just a feeling."

Vincent nodded slowly. "I see," he said quietly. He stood slowly, watching her. "Let me know if that feeling changes."

Tifa looked up at him, her gaze confused as she watched him leave. What had he meant by that? Did he know something she didn't?

_**Sometime Later**_

Vincent sighed as he sat on his mattress. He glanced around the tiny room in the ship, grimacing slightly at the nagging pain he was feeling in his chest. He didn't know why, but ever since a few days ago, this pain had been constantly bothering him. It was making him grumpy and irritable, and he knew it wasn't a good sign. The only other time he had felt like this had been almost a year ago…..

He shook his head, trying to clear the memory from his mind. He didn't want to think that Chaos was awakening again. He wasn't so sure he could handle Chaos if it decided to make its presence known once more. Lately he just hadn't been feeling as strong as he should have, and it bothered him. He had been trying to hide it from the rest of the group, but he knew that Cloud was sensing something.

He scowled. _Damn Cloud. It's just like him to know when something is not right._ Not that it bothered him to know that his friends cared, it was just…. He thought he had conquered all his inner demons a long time ago, and weakness wasn't something he especially enjoyed. He glanced at a nearby clock, realizing for the first time how late it was. He started to lean back on the mattress to try to catch a little sleep, when an especially sharp pang shot through his chest, causing him to sit up. He leaned over the edge of the bed, doubled over, clutching his chest just below his heart. He scowled as the pain subsided, leaving him feeling weak and a little light-headed. Perhaps he just needed a little water or something.

He got to his feet, hoping that the walk to the galley would make him feel better. He left his room, his footsteps silent as he listened to the hum of the airship. He walked slowly down the hallway, grateful that the ship had to be kept cool so the engine wouldn't overheat. He paused briefly under an air vent, letting the cool air rush over him. He felt his ears twitch slightly when a sound came from a nearby room. Curious, he turned to look down the hall, jumping when a scream suddenly echoed through the ship. Snapping to action, he ran toward the sound of the scream, realizing it had come from one of the girls' rooms. He was almost to the first door, when it suddenly opened, and a ragged, frightened, sleepy-eyed Tifa stumbled into the hallway.

He caught her as she ran into him, a blur of pink jammies as she tried to escape whatever phantom had been haunting her. "Tifa? What's wrong?" he asked quietly, glancing around to see if anyone else had been awakened.

She looked up, her hazel eyes filled with tears. "Vince!" she exclaimed, relief in her voice. She threw her arms around his waist, clinging to him tightly. "Thank the gods you're alright."

Vincent felt a confused frown crease his brow. What in the world was she talking about? He slowly returned her hug, hoping it would calm her enough that she would tell him what the heck she was talking about. As he listened to her soft sniffles, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness sweep him. Not knowing what else to do, he slowly started leading her toward the galley. He had to sit down. "Come," he said quietly, his arms still around her. "I was going to get some water."

Tifa nodded against his chest as he led her along. Once they reached the galley, Vincent helped her sit in a chair, before sitting down next to her. As he leaned back, he realized how tired he really was suddenly. He glanced at Tifa, watching as she wiped at her eyes a few more moments. He watched her glance at him, an embarrassed smile coming to her face.

"I'm sorry, Vince," she said softly.

Vincent leaned forward in his chair, still confused. Tifa had more mood swings than he thought possible.

"I worried you," she said, wiping at her eyes one last time before looking at him. She glanced away, unable to bear her friend's silent gaze. A defeated look came to her face. "I just had this dream. And it seemed so real…."

Vincent's brow creased.

At his look, Tifa sighed deeply. "I thought….." she shook her head, rubbing her temples. "I thought…..you…and Cloud….and the others….." She couldn't finish as she shook her head again. She could feel the fear and sadness from earlier consuming her again, pooling as hot tears in her eyes.

Vincent leaned forward, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he gently prodded her, "You thought we what?" He watched her wipe her eyes while still avoiding looking at him. "Tifa?"

She sat up a little straighter, seemingly steeling herself. "I thought….you guys had been killed," she breathed.

Vincent's frown deepened. He still was terribly confused. It wasn't unnatural for people to have dreams like that, was it? Wasn't that kind of the whole point of nightmares? He knew he had had dreams where people died before, and it hadn't bothered him that much. He watched her glance at him, seemingly reading the expression on his face.

"I've just had this feeling," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "Since Cloud told us about this mission, I've just had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something bad is going to happen. And then the dream….." She looked up at him, her hazel eyes confused and scared. "It just….seemed so real." She bit back a sob as she thought about the next part. "And there was nothing I could do about it." She broke down. "What if something really happens to you guys?" She began to sob softly into her hands.

Vince watched her, feeling terrible at his inability to comfort her. He was wondering what to do to for her, when she suddenly got up and walked over to him, crawling onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, crying softly into his shoulder. Surprised, he hesitantly put his arms around her, holding her close as he listened to her cry. After a moment, he softly stroked her hair, wanting to soothe her. He knew she just needed a shoulder to cry on, but it still made him uncomfortable to have her so close.

"Tifa?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Her sobs had dwindled for the most part to half-hearted sniffles. She turned her head slightly, resting her temple against his shoulder.

"Will you be alright now?" he asked, feeling even more uncomfortable at the sensation of her hot breaths on his ear. He felt her nod against his shoulder, and he sighed slightly, feeling better. He felt her shift as she started to get to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Vince," she said, quickly turning away from him as she stood. He caught a glimpse of her embarrassed blush. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Vincent slowly pulled himself to his feet, catching her elbow before she could leave the galley, which he knew she intended to do. He turned her to face him, his crimson gaze searching hers. After a moment of silence, he pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. There was so much that he felt he should say to comfort her, yet none of the right words seemed to form on his lips. Instead he chose to comfort her the only way he knew how, with silence. He had a feeling that she would understand. He felt a hidden fist of tension ease from his chest when she hesitantly returned his hug.

"Do you understand?" he whispered.

Tifa nodded against his chest, looking up to meet his gaze. "I understand."

He nodded, releasing her as she stepped back. He held her gaze for a moment, before watching her smile.

"Good night, Vincent," she said quietly, her hazel eyes weary but calm.

Vincent simply nodded. He watched her leave the galley. Once the doors closed behind her, he sank into a nearby chair, uncertain of why he suddenly felt so weary. He sat for a moment, lost deep in thought over Tifa's dreams and the possible meaning, when the doors suddenly opened again, and a pair of unwavering blue eyes bored into his.

"Vincent Valentine," Shelke said quietly, her voice still mechanized to his ears even after all the time she had spent with them.

He watched her watch him for a second, before taking several measured steps toward him. She held his gaze for a moment, then glanced away, her questions clear in her calculating gaze. Timidly, she met his stare once again, taking another step toward him.

"You have something to ask me," he said, arching a brow and watching her turn away.

"Well…..yes….." She kept her back to him. "But…I don't know….If I should….."

Vincent found himself once more surprised. "Modesty was never one of your strongest features," he commented quietly.

Shelke turned slightly to glance at him, her robotic brain understanding his cryptic commentary. She glanced away a last time, mentally readying herself, before facing him. "Tifa…." She bit her lip, looking away.

Vincent's brow furrowed as he read the silence between them. He could tell from the look on her face that something was bothering her. "Tifa..?" He watched as Shelke began to wring her hands. He leaned forward, her nervous fidgeting making him uneasy.

"Uh…." Shelke glanced at him, worry in her blazing blue eyes.

Vincent sat up straight suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "What did you do to her, Shelke?"

Shelke blanched, stepping back. "N—nothing," she said defensively. She looked away. "At least nothing that can't be repaired."

Vincent rose slowly to his feet. His look told her that she had five seconds to explain.

"She interrupted me while a net dive was in progress," she blurted, stepping toward the door, then turning to look at him. "It seems that some of the data that I had been accessing was transferred into her programmed conscience accidentally." She looked away. "I heard you speaking of dreams—premonitions she called them—those could be side-effects of the data transfer."

He watched doubt flit across her face. "And if they are not?" he asked softly, watching her. He wanted to believe that her dreams were nothing more than nightmares.

"Then she could be glimpsing what is to come," Shelke whispered.

Vincent felt his frown beginning to become perpetual. He had hoped they would be nothing more than nightmares. He couldn't shake the feeling that something about Reeve's capture was fishy, and other than Tifa's 'premonitions', he had no reason to believe that it was, until now. He pursed his lips slightly, his gaze narrowing as it focused on Shelke. "Tell me all you know about Reeve's captors," he said quietly, pulling out a chair for her to take a seat.

Shelke nodded. "Of course," she whispered, having known that her confession would lead to this interrogation. She sat slowly, facing Vincent. "What would you like to know?"


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**An Hour Later**_

Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat on his mattress. He could feel the impending headache coming. It was hard for him to digest all the information Shelke had dumped on him about ten minutes prior. He leaned back against his pillow, closing his eyes as he draped an arm across his face. He would never escape this existence, would he?

Always falling into trouble or rushing into danger; always saving innocents. It was great at first, but eventually the grandeur fled. He sighed deeply, grateful for the darkness. He could feel sleep starting to nip at the edges of his consciousness as he thought about what Shelke had said. There was a chance that Tifa's premonition was correct, and if that was the case…well, he would just have to take everything in stride. He turned his head slightly at the sound of footsteps outside in the hall.

Lifting his arm, he stared at the door, wondering who would be up this late, other than Shelke and himself. He blinked against the light that flooded into his room when the door opened.

"Vince?"

He mentally groaned at the sound of Tifa's voice. He hoped she hadn't come back to cry some more. He didn't think he could stand it if she had. He watched her walk toward him, her hazel eyes shining in the darkness.

"Are you asleep?" she whispered as her bare feet padded softly on the floor.

He turned away from her, sighing shortly. "No."

Tifa gasped softly, her voice becoming concerned. "I didn't wake you did I?" she whispered.

Vincent shook his head, shifting slightly as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Is everything all right?" he asked, watching her shoulders bow as she stared at the door.

"Yeah," she said hesitantly. Vincent heard the frown in her voice. "Well, no…..I—I just couldn't get back to sleep." She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I know I shouldn't, but….Would—would it…"

Vincent gazed at her in silence for a moment, before understanding what it was she was trying to ask. He thought about it for a brief moment, before sliding over, making room for her on the little twin mattress. He watched her look at him, her hazel eyes wide and surprised. "Is that not what you wanted?" he asked quietly.

Tifa looked away, her voice slightly embarrassed. "Well, I just didn't expect you to let me stay," she said quietly.

Vincent grunted softly, before turning on his side, his back to her. "You may stay if you wish, for how ever long you feel you need to," he said quietly, closing his eyes. He listened to her breath softly for a minute, before feeling her shift next to him. He tried not to flinch when she brushed him slightly.

"Thanks Vince," she breathed.

He turned to glance at her over his shoulder, barely catching the gratitude in her voice. He felt his eyes widen in shock as he stared at her back. Why had she sought comfort from him? Why hadn't she run to Cloud like she should have? His brow furrowed in confusion. He gazed at her a moment longer, before resting his cheek against his arm. He stared at the wall for a long time, listening to her soft breathing, and feeling the warmth of her nearness. Eventually he closed his eyes, deciding that it was somewhat comforting to have her presence near; not specifically hers, but another human's presence was enough. It made the mission feel a little less ominous, and made the darkness a little easier to bear. He was almost asleep, when he felt Tifa shift, turning to face him.

His crimson-laden irises flashed open when he felt her curl against his back. He was tempted to protest at her invasion of his space, but, when he looked at her, and saw her sleeping peacefully, he felt his heart melt. She seemed so calm and peaceful, and her face was flawless and angelic in the soft light that flooded in under the door. And, he realized, she seemed as if, for the first time since the mission started, she felt safe. He turned slowly to face her, finding himself suddenly captivated by her. It felt so wrong to have her so near and to have the thoughts he had running through his head, but…. She was just so beautiful and perfect in that moment.

He felt an ache in his chest as he gazed at her, even as his mind began to reprimand him. She was Cloud's, and even if she wasn't, there was no way she would harbor feelings for him. And, because of his sins, there was no way he would let himself get near her. He didn't want her to hurt or suffer because of him. Feeling the ache in his chest worsen, he closed his eyes, blocking out all thoughts of her. It was for the best, or, at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

_**With Tifa**_

Breathing deeply, Tifa couldn't help but be soothed by the soft scent that she had come to associate with Vincent. It was a gentle lilt of leather and cinnamon, and it tingled her nose as she let her forehead rest against his back. She turned her head slightly, letting his silky raven hair brush against her cheek. A slip of a smile slid across her face as she began to drift off, feeling safe and secure with Vincent so close.

She had fallen into a murky sort of half sleep, where she was immersed in darkness, but still aware of Vincent's presence next to her. She could feel her consciousness slipping gently into a dream, when Vincent shifted. It whisked her out of her dream as her senses tuned to catch his every movement, but she didn't open her eyes as she listened to the soft rustle of fabric as he moved. She felt him still next to her, and her breath suddenly caught in her throat when she realized that he had turned to face her. Slowly, she tilted her head, opening her eyes to look at him. She gasped when her gaze collided with his soft mako glow in the dark.

At first, neither moved nor looked away, but Tifa caved first, quickly averting her eyes. She could feel Vincent's ever-present gaze on her, and she felt a blush quickly heating her cheeks as she became flustered. Nervously, she lifted her gaze to meet his once more, this time unable to look away. She felt her heart flutter as she watched different thoughts flash behind Vincent's crimson-filled gaze, before a soft, unspoken emotion settled in his burning irises. She held her breath as she realized that one of two things would happen: either the world as she knew it could be rocked violently beneath her, or she could choose to crush the sudden tension in her chest by opening her mouth and ruining this perfect moment. Unsure, and a little frightened by the suddenness of it all, she chose to remain silent, feeling about to choke on the tension in the air. She drew a sharp breath, feeling her chest constrict. Her hazel eyes widened in surprise as she realized how incredibly attractive she suddenly found her stoic friend.

Seemingly reading her mind, Vincent shifted, leaning forward. Tifa felt her heart pounding in her ears as she realized what he wanted. She tried to calm her pulse as she waited for the impending kiss, feeling as if she would die of anticipation. At first, she didn't understand why he was taking so long, since it was clear he wanted to kiss her, when she saw the hesitation and reserve in his scorching gaze. Unable to bear it any longer, she leaned up on her elbows, closing the few inches between them, softly pressing her lips against his.

She had no idea the torrent of feelings he was holding back, or how, when she kissed him, they were wildly unleashed, taking over him, losing him in their ferocious current. She felt him hesitantly return the kiss at first, but when he did, there was so much passion behind it, she thought she would drown in it.

_**With Vincent**_

As soon as Tifa's lips met his, he desperately wished they hadn't. There was no way he could squash the feelings that he had for her now, regardless of how hard he tried. There was no way he could escape them. Feeling them overwhelm him, he returned the kiss with fervent need, wishing he knew a way to undo what she had started. After a moment, he broke the kiss, gasping as he tried to catch his breath. He listened to the pounding of his heart in his ears, before drowning it out to listen to Tifa's soft pants. He slowly opened his crimson eyes, turning them to look at her. He felt his heart threatening to break as he stared at her. He watched her smile softly, and wanted to hit himself. How did he let this happen?

He turned away, regretting ever answering the phone and telling Cloud he would come, and almost regretting ever meeting the Avalanche group. If he had never met any of them, things would surely be different….. He closed his eyes when he felt her hand softly on his cheek.

"Vincent?" she whispered, gently turning him to face her. Her deep hazel eyes were troubled.

Sighing softly, he looked at her. "I…" he grimaced, unable to hold her gaze as he looked away, "you…" _Shit. _He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "That shouldn't have happened." His voice was a soft whisper.

Tifa turned slightly, watching him. "You regret it," she said quietly, disappointment in her voice.

He kept his gaze averted as he remained silent. What could he say to her? There was no denying that he had wanted to, but when it actually happened…. "I can't," he whispered, putting up his hard exterior, trying to keep her out. He turned away from her, laying with his back to her. He felt her shift, knowing she was probably sitting up.

"You can't what?" she demanded, her soft whisper holding hints of anger. She leaned toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him back to look at her. When he met her gaze, her eyes were pleading, and so was her voice. "Talk to me, Vince. Tell me what's on your mind. Don't shut me out."

Glancing away, he laid on his back, feeling her gaze beating down on him. How could he possibly hope to make her understand? He slowly brought his gaze back to hers, drawing a slow, deep breath. "I can't…..let you do this," he said slowly, trying to gather his thoughts into coherency. "I can't let you think there is something between us when there can't be." He tried not flinch when he saw the outrage in her hazel gaze.

"Then why did you want to kiss me?" she demanded.

Realizing the mess he was in, Vincent knew he had two options. He could lie…..or he could tell her the truth. But telling her the truth would be painful, as it meant he would have to tell her the whole truth. But if he lied….

Drawing a breath, he met her gaze. "I'm not like any of the other men you've ever dated or been around," he said slowly. "I'm not even very much like Cloud. My sins run much deeper than Cloud's debt to Aerith, possibly so much deeper that it is unfathomable. I have tried to atone for my sins once, and for a while it seemed I was receiving salvation. But something once more stands in my path, and, until I atone for the years I spent in dormancy locked in the Shinra basement, I can't allow anyone to be as near to me as you wish to be." He watched her look away, hurt in her eyes. "I can't afford any more sins, Tifa." He watched her stare at the floor, avoiding his gaze. He wished she could understand, but he knew she couldn't even begin to wrap her mind around what he was saying. He felt an uncomfortable silence settling over them.

After a moment or two of deep thought, Tifa looked up, her hazel eyes bright and trying to hide the hurt. "I understand," she whispered, trying to keep the hurt from her voice.

_Do you? Do you really?_

"But, please don't make me go," she whispered, her feelings finally seeping through her tough exterior. "I want to be near you right now."

Vincent nodded, watching her relax. He watched relief flit across her face as she curled against his side, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

_Thank you, Vincent._ Tifa felt her heart hurting slightly as she closed her eyes. _I know you have things to atone for. I know that. But I hope that you can find room for me in your heart somewhere as well…..some day._


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**The Next Day**_

The first thing Tifa noticed when she woke was the lack of warmth she remembered next to her. Her eyes flashed open, and she glanced around, wondering where Vincent had gone, and why he had left without waking her. Thinking something may be wrong, she jumped to her feet. She took several quick steps to the door, reaching for the handle to open it. She jumped when it opened of its own accord, and she stepped back, her hazel gaze colliding with a deep crimson.

"Vincent," she breathed, startled. She tried to plaster a smile on. "I was just coming to find you." _Why did you leave without waking me?_ She was sure he could see through her fake smile, as his crimson eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

He grunted softly, seeing right through her mock happiness. "I just came to inform you that we are nearing our destination and Cid has called a meeting," he said quietly and impersonally. "We will be meeting in the cockpit in an hour."

Tifa nodded, hearing the indifference in his voice. She looked away as she excused herself to her room to change. She could feel her heart breaking as she stepped into the shower, as she began to realize that he meant what he said. She sighed as she let the hot water rush over her head. This was going to be a long flight.

_** In the Cockpit**_

Cloud could feel the heat from Vincent's smoldering gaze burning the floor, and he could have sworn he saw smoke. He continued to watch his friend for a moment, noting that he wasn't exactly angry, but he wasn't exactly happy. He watched as Vincent dipped his head a bit as he scowled, hiding his face further in his cloak. Frowning, Cloud stepped toward Vincent, wanting to know what was bothering him.

"I do not wish to explain to you why I am angry," Vincent snapped, his gaze unmoving as he spoke.

Cloud froze in his tracks, caught off guard, and slightly angered at Vincent's hostility. "You sure?" he asked, his frown deepening into a scowl. "You're not normally this pissy."

Vincent slid Cloud a scorching glance. Cloud could almost hear Vincent's thoughts, knowing he had really stuck his foot in his mouth this time.

"Uh, that's not what I meant," he said quickly, trying to cover up his slip.

Vincent arched a brow. "Then what did you mean?"

"Just worried about you," Cloud said, crossing his arms. "I wanted to be sure you were alright." His liquid blue eyes shifted to the floor. "Can't let you fight when your head's not in it."

Vincent's first thought was to be angry, but his crimson gaze widened as he realized Cloud was only concerned about him. "It is nothing to be troubled about," he said quietly. "I will be more than useful in the upcoming battle, and I do not wish to trouble you with trivial things, especially the ones that seem to invade my mind from time to time."

Cloud's face was expressionless as he gave his crimson-mantled comrade another measured glance, before he nodded and walked away, toward Cid, who stood vigilantly at the helm. He didn't bother to look at Vincent again as he resumed his examination of Cid's abilities to get them as close as possible to the reactor. He didn't look up again until the doors to the cockpit slid open, and Tifa and Yuffie entered, Yuffie chattering excitedly as normal, and Tifa pretending to listen intently. He watched them start toward Vincent, and he found it strange that Tifa suddenly seemed to shy away from Yuffie when she realized where she was going. He watched as she hesitated, shooting Vincent an anxious glance, before making a detour towards him and Cid.

"Mornin' Tifa," Cid said, his eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at Cloud, who assumed he had noticed the odd exchange as well.

"Good morning," she said brightly, smiling. She turned her hazel eyes on Cloud. "Cloud."

He nodded, grunting softly. "Tifa," he said quietly, glancing at the map on the screen before Cid.

"So, what's the latest update?" she asked, following his gaze.

"Cid has managed to get the computer systems operating to full capacity again, and Shelke has performed a successful net dive," he said quietly. His mako eyes scanned the map thoughtfully. "We're going to have to enter from the air." He looked up at her. "You any good with a hover board?"

She shrugged thoughtfully. "How hard could it be?" she asked, thinking about it. She had seen Yuffie and Vincent ride them during the attack on Midgar, and it didn't seem like it was that difficult.

Cloud nodded, straightening. He looked at Cid. "Page Barrett and tell him we're ready to start," he said.

Cid nodded, looking to the soldier at the control panel to his right. "Hey! Tell Barrett to get his fat ass up here!" he yelled.

The soldier nodded, pushing a button on his control panel. "The meeting is about to begin," he said into a microphone that was hooked over his ear. "Your presence is requested on the main deck."

It wasn't very long before Barrett came stalking through the cockpit doors, seeming a little put out. "This had better be good," he said, running the back of his hand across his mouth. "I got food waitin' for me to get back to it."

Cid rolled his eyes. "Quit your whinin', ya big baby," he growled. He stepped from the helm, flipping the auto pilot switch. "Me an' Cloud have come up with a plan."

Cloud nodded, pressing a button on the map screen. The others watched as 3-D image formed in front of them, taking the shape of the Nibelheim reactor. He walked toward it, his arms crossed as he gave them a moment to study it. He glanced at the cockpit doors as they opened and Shelke entered, her calculated gaze fixing on the floor plans. She walked toward them, zeroing in on the easiest entry point. Cloud stepped aside and let her take the lead in presenting the attack plans.

"The main air intake duct," she said, pointing to an area on the left-hand side of the reactor. "This will be the weakest entry point." She glanced around at the six AVALANCHE members. "Should you miss the landing area," she shot Vincent a heated glare, "the second weakest entrance would be the secondary intake." She pointed to another area on the opposite side of the reactor. She glanced around at the group, watching them. "Please study the map carefully. It is imperative that you know the outside."

At this, Yuffie released a frustrated groan. "Of course," she said bitterly. "So what's it look like when we get inside?"

Shelke nodded, turning back to the image. "Computer, open image C-5."

The group watched as the image blinked, shifting into another map, this one more complex than the first.

"I have uploaded this to your cell's memory," Shelke said, walked around to the far side of the image. She pointed to a series of halls in what seemed to be the basement of the reactor. "According to the messages I intercepted and the data I recovered, Reeve and the others should be here." She walked to the map screen, pressing a button. A yellow line suddenly split the image. "This is the quickest path to the basement." She glanced among the faces of the heroes before her. "Though, I doubt it will be the easiest to take." She pressed another button, another line, this one red, appearing before them. "That's why I came up with an alternate route. I realize that Deep Ground will be expecting you, and that it may very well likely be a trap, so this secondary path may be the best to take. I made sure to pick obscure halls that are the most likely to be deserted, as they are far from the main halls." She walked to the image, her eyes narrowed in concern.

"Anything else we should know?" Cid asked, reading the expression on her face.

She glanced at him, before turning back to the map. "This area," she said quietly, pointing to a large open area. "This is the center of the reactor itself. You must navigate it to reach Reeve and the others. I was unable to find a safe pathway around it, so it is likely you will have to go through it." She glanced at Cloud, then shifted her gaze to Vincent. "This concerns me, though. You will be exposed to high levels of radioactive mako," Her eyes were locked on Vincent, "which could stir up the beasts living in your hearts."

Cloud's electric blue eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Shelke turned her gaze to Cloud. "It means, while Chaos no longer has access to Vincent's physical body, there is still an imprint left on his brain of Chaos' presence," she said. She glanced around at all of them. "It simply means that the mako could affect Chaos' slumber, causing him to stir until you are away from it. If you are exposed for too long, the long term effect is ultimately his return." She focused her eyes back on Cloud. "The same goes for you. Though Sephiroth is no longer among us, his presence is in the lifestream, and inside you, because of the Jenova cells implanted in you. I worry that the mako will drive you two to the point of madness." She looked away, her gaze studying the floor as thoughts whizzed through her mind. "Perhaps the primary route is the best."

Cloud glanced at Vincent, feeling the eyes of their comrades on them. "No," he said firmly. "We can't risk being found. We're too outnumbered. Surprise is all we have. We'll just have to chance it."

Shelke looked at him, worry in her eyes. "Very well," she whispered softly, looking away. "I had guessed you would say that." She clasped her hands behind her back. "In that case, I have constructed something for you two. Come to the sick bay before you leave."

Cloud nodded, watching her leave, noticing that she seemed as if their refusal had some how insulted her. He glanced at Vincent once more, knowing he had sensed the same thing. "Then I guess that is all until we get closer," he said to the group, looking at each of them. "Any questions?"

Yuffie crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "If you and Vinny lose it in there, we aren't going to have to drag your sorry asses out, are we?" she asked, her stubborn hazel gaze demanding.

Cloud rolled his eyes, looking away. "Any other questions?" he asked, meeting Tifa's gaze. "_Real_ questions?"

Cid grunted a laugh as he walked back to the helm. Barrett also chuckled softly. Yuffie, however, did not find Cloud's ignoring her funny.

"Hey!" she yelled, walking to Cloud and slugging his arm. "Answer me!"

Cloud glanced at her, frowning at having been punched. He rubbed his arm as he looked at her. "That kinda hurt," he pouted, feigning sadness.

"Oh, too bad!" Yuffie yelled, becoming quite irritated. She turned to glance at Tifa. "Make him apologize to me!"

Tifa laughed softly at her outburst and the scene before her. "For what?" she asked.

Yuffie growled in frustration. "I'm going to my room!" she yelled. She stalked to the cockpit doors, pausing as they opened. "Cloud, you're a jerk."

Cloud laughed softly, watching her leave. "It's too bad she feels that way," he said softly, glancing at Tifa.

Tifa nodded, a slip of a smile on her face as well. "Well, I think I'm going to rest up a bit before we arrive," she said quietly. She glanced at Vincent, who remained unmoved, before turning and walking to the door.

The three men watched her leave, before Cid fixed his sky blue gaze on Vincent. "Alright, what's goin' on with you two?" he demanded, flicking the butt of his cigarette at Vincent's feet to get his attention.

Vincent shifted slightly, his crimson gaze glancing carelessly down at the dying ember. "I'm afraid I don't know what exactly you're referring to," he said, turning to look out the bay windows.

"Oh, cut the crap, Vinny," Cid growled, flipping the auto pilot switch once more. "Somethin' happened 'tween you and Tifa, and I intend to find out why she looks like her dog just got eaten by a chocobo every time she looks at you." He walked toward Vincent, coming to a stop beside him. He watched as Vincent glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "And don't look at me like that!" He huffed, crossing his arms. "It ain't my fault you probably did somethin' stupid that's hurt her feelin's."

Vincent's crimson gaze narrowed as he stared at the midday sky. He could feel a scowl on his lips. "Should I wish to divulge that information," he said, turning to look squarely at Cid, "I can assure you that I shan't come to you." With that he stepped around the steamed pilot, making his way to the door.

"Dammit, Vincent," Cid yelled, turning to face him, "it's not about you all the freakin' time! Think about it. Whatever it is that's goin' on between you two could have a major impact on how the two of you are able to do in the battle. And we need both of you in top form. So you better go apologize and make things right!"

Vincent bowed his head, closing his eyes as he tried not to lose his temper with the long-winded pilot. "I'll keep that in mind," he said darkly as he left the cockpit. He couldn't hide a bitter smirk as he heard the pilot growl in frustration as the doors closed behind him.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**With Tifa**_

Tifa sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the door. After a few silent moments, she stood, walking toward it and flipping the light switch off. She heaved a sigh as she walked to her bed, laying on it. She lay there for several minutes, when she thought she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She turned and stared at the door, listening as the footsteps paused outside her door. She frowned, wondering who it could be. She hoped it wasn't Yuffie come to chat her ear off again. She didn't know if she could stand it, as she could feel a migraine coming on. She blinked back as she listened to the footsteps continue on down the hall. Curious, she got up, and walked to the door, listening to the air lock hiss as it slid open. She glanced both ways down the open hall, seeing no one. Once more she frowned, wondering what that had been about, but shrugged it off and returned inside.

She pulled off her shoes and lay on her bed once more, closing her eyes. She managed to drift into a light sleep, but it didn't seem like it lasted long enough as the sirens suddenly began to wail, and Cid's voice came over the intercom.

"All hands to battle stations!"

Tifa jumped up from her bed, grabbing her shoes and running toward the cockpit. When she arrived, she stopped, realizing that she was the first to get there. She turned her gaze on Cid, watching as he and Cloud frowned down at a map.

"What's going on?" she asked, pulling on her shoes and walking toward them.

"We're nearing our destination," Cloud said, glancing up as Vincent, Yuffie, and Barrett arrived moments later.

"Alright, gang, here's the plan," Cid said, hitting the autopilot button and gazing down at them from the helm. "Cloud, you and Barrett will lead the first assault, hopefully drawing attention away from Tifa and Vincent as they head for the intake duct." He watched as both of their faces darkened, and they slid each other shaded glances.

"Hey, what about me?" Yuffie said, hands on her hips.

Cid grinned, loving his job. "You get to stay here with me, ya little brat," he said. He laughed when Yuffie scowled angrily. "You'll be back up in case Tifa and Vince hit any trouble."

Yuffie was silent, but from the look on her face, it was apparent that she was not happy about her assigned part in this mission.

"Alright gang, battle stations!" Cid yelled, giving a wild yee-haw as the group dispersed.

Tifa jogged behind Vincent, having trouble keeping up with his long legged stride. She tried not to scowl as she thought about what an ass he had been all morning, and it made her feel only slightly better to know that it made him uncomfortable to have her tagging along. Once they reached the landing dock, Tifa slowed to a stop, seeing for the first time up close the little hover boards that they would be using. She gulped as she watched Vincent walk over to one, stepping onto it. He looked at her expectantly, frowning at her hesitant gaze.

"You've never ridden one of these before," he said, holstering Cerberus as he had unconsciously drawn it.

Tifa shook her head, continuing to stare at the hover board. She looked up when Vincent stepped off his and walked toward her.

"Come," he said, extending a hand to her. "It's easy."

Tifa looked at his hand, then his face, then the board. After a moment of silence, she scowled, turning her nose up at his offer. "No thanks," she said suddenly. "I'll figure it out myself."

Vincent's frown deepened as he realized how bad things were. They'd never get anything done at this rate, let alone save Reeve. He sighed, climbing aboard his own hover board as he watched her. "I'm really sorry, Tifa," he said suddenly, causing her to glance at him sharply.

"You should be," she said heatedly. She tensed when Cid's voice came over the intercom, and the hatch's door slowly began to open. She felt as if her heart had nearly stopped. She wasn't normally afraid of heights, but at this precise moment in time she was scared out of her mind. "Oh fuck."

Vincent glanced at her, trying not to smirk at the look on her face. "It's easy, Tifa," he said, shifting his weight as he prepared for take off. "Just stay behind me."

Tifa swallowed a scream as the boards were suddenly launched.

_**On the Ground**_

Vincent stood with his back to Tifa, arms crossed in front of his chest as he listened to her wretch a final time. If he had thought Yuffie's airsickness was bad, he had never seen Tifa after her first ride on a hover board. He grimaced as he listened to her cough a few times, before turning to glance at her. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew she was still furious. He watched as she ran the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping away the bile, as she straightened slowly. Whatever she'd had for breakfast that morning was definitely gone now.

"Damn," she breathed. She probably thought he hadn't heard her, but his supersonic hearing caught everything, from her soft words to the gentle rhythm of her heart beating. It was odd to hear, but he was used to it.

"Are you alright?" Vincent asked, his deep crimson gaze seeing right through her.

Tifa scowled, looking away. "I'm fine," she snapped. She huffed, stepping around him, even though her face was still very pale. "Now, where is this duct that we're supposed to find?"

Vincent sighed forlornly, before leading the way. It had been easy to commit Shelke's map to memory, and just the weight in his pocket of the small object she'd given him made him feel even better about the whole thing. It was a small orb, similar to the protomateria, but it was something different. He couldn't remember what she had called it, but she had given one to both him and Cloud and told them that should they run into trouble near the core, it would help pull them out. Just knowing that there was an escape route made him feel a little more confident, and he drew Cerberus, a large culvert coming into view. It was crisscrossed with an iron-barred gate, making it impenetrable to them, but it didn't stop Vincent from easily shooting the lock off, watching with satisfaction as the gate swung open, bearing the cavernous passage to them.

"We enter here," he said quietly to Tifa, who was watching him, trying to seem bored. "This will take us to the main hallway, where we'll have to find the control room. There's another tunnel like this one that will take us past the core and into the basement."

Tifa nodded, following the swish of his cloak as he stepped soundlessly into the iron tunnel, seemingly knowing exactly where he was going. She felt a shiver run down her spine as the air funneled through there, causing the tunnel to howl. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Vincent, unknowingly drawing his crimson gaze. He said nothing as he watched her glance around nervously, realizing that this was perhaps the first time he had ever seen Tifa even remotely frightened. It was a little humbling, but it also made deep feelings well inside him. He wanted her to know that he would take care of her, but how to say that so that it didn't betray any of his true feelings was an impossible task. Instead, he slowed his pace a little, so that she was walking beside him instead of behind him.

"Something wrong?" she whispered, looking ahead, pulling at the gloves on her hands.

Vincent shook his head, glancing around. It suddenly occurred to him that the howling had stopped, indicating that they were nearing the entrance to the hallway. He slowed even more, motioning for Tifa to follow his lead. He pressed his back to the wall as they neared a turn in the tunnel, slowly peering around. He frowned at the guards he saw stationed across the hall in front of a door. He didn't want to alert any one else to their presence, but getting past them would be difficult….

"I got this Vince," Tifa said suddenly, sliding past him. He reached out as if to stop her, before hesitating, deciding to rely on the knowledge that she probably knew what she was doing. He decided to remain silent as he watched her charge them, both of them ending up flat on their backs within the fraction of a minute. He smirked as he watched her turn and wave at him, smiling. "Coast is clear."

He nodded, stepping into the hall behind her.

"Now where to?" she asked, looking up at him. He was grateful that she no longer seemed angry, but that was until he realized that it was just her putting on her battle face. When they returned to the Shera, she would probably retire to her room, or anywhere other than where he was.

He looked around, mentally associating this floor plan with the digital he had seen. "I believe we go this way," he said, stepping forward. He had taken about four steps, when he suddenly froze. He stood stock still, burning pain shooting through his chest. He tried to ignore it, but it only increased, nearly bringing him to his knees. He clutched his chest, grimacing as he bit back any sounds he might have otherwise made. He couldn't risk them being found, especially not when he was suddenly rendered helpless. He vaguely heard Tifa's exclamation, before he felt her pulling his arm around her shoulders and leading him into one of the nearby storerooms. She gently lowered him to the ground, watching as he crumpled. Her hazel eyes were wide and frightened. She'd never seen him like this, and it made her feel helpless.

She watched him worriedly, knowing there was nothing she could do. She didn't see any blood, and after several tense, breath-stopping minutes, it seemed as if the pain was easing. She watched as the grimace slowly slid from his face, and he opened his crimson eyes, staring at the floor in a daze, trying to catch his breath as well as trying to figure out what the hell was going on. It was several minutes before he looked up at her, stunned surprise still on his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling in front of him. She watched him nod. "What was that all about?"

Vincent shook his head. He didn't really know what was going on, but he had a damn good idea. This was just like what happened last time Chaos woke. Except last time he had Lucrecia to help him, and this time…. He drew a slow breath, drawing his thoughts together. All they had to do was get to Reeve. Then after that he could fall apart or whatever it was that was happening. But for now he had to focus on Reeve. He struggled to stand, his legs rubbery and shaky. He watched Tifa quickly move beside him, acting as a crutch.

"Should I radio Cloud and Barrett and have Cid send Yuffie?" she asked quietly, realizing quickly the direness of the situation. She frowned when he shook his head, pulling away from her.

"There is no need," he said softly. "I will be fine until we get back to the Shera."

Tifa watched him skeptically for a moment, and Vincent thought she would argue, but instead she sighed. "Whatever you say," she whispered. She walked past him to the door, cracking it open and surveying the hall. "Looks like the coast is clear."

Vincent stepped beside her, peering through the crack as well. He didn't think anything of their proximity, until Tifa's shoulder brushed against his chest, and he looked down, right into her hazel depths. He felt his breath catch, and all he could do was stare down at her, surprise written on her face. He was certain his expression mirrored hers, and he watched her blush, even though she didn't look away. For a moment, they were both frozen to that spot, tension slowly filling the air.

Tifa felt her heart jump into her throat, making her feel breathless and lightheaded. All she could see was Vincent suddenly grabbing her, pressing his lips to her with such passionate need that she nearly fainted. His hands were roving all over her body, quickly disposing of her troublesome clothing as her hands found their way to the buckles on his cloak. Her back hit a corner, and he pressed her against the wall, his need pressed firmly against her thigh as his lips still captivated hers. She pulled his shirt away, letting her hands roam over his well-toned chest, and then—

"Tifa?"

Tifa jumped a little, blinking suddenly. She felt a blush heat her cheeks as she realized that Vincent was still standing so close to her that she could smell the faint musky scent that was Vincent, and she looked away, glancing back out into the hallway. "I—I think that, uh, we should, um, you know, get going," she managed, still feeling totally stupid that she had just zoned out right there in front of him, and that it had been so explicit, and that he had no idea what was running through her mind.

"I agree," he said quietly, pushing the door open some more and stepping past her into the hall. When he realized that she wasn't behind him, he turned to look at her, seeing her still staring at the floor, blushing madly. "Are you coming?"

Tifa closed her eyes, drawing a slow breath, nodding. She followed along behind him, trying desperately to get her mind out of the gutter. By the time they reached the control room, she had done a decent job of ridding herself of her nasty thoughts, but when they stepped inside, and she watched Vincent take out about four guys at once, the thoughts returned in full force. She sighed a little as she followed him to vent in the wall.

Vincent glanced at her as he wrenched the grate off, concern in his crimson gaze. "Something wrong?" he asked, tossing the grate aside and straightening.

Tifa bit her lip, shaking her head. "Nope," she said. _You have no idea!_


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**Aboard the Shera**_

Yuffie sighed forlornly, glancing at Cid, who stood at the helm, unphased by her apparent boredom, which she was doing her darndest to use to irritate him. "Any word from anybody yet?" she asked, clearly put out.

Cid glanced down at her, smirking. "Yep, everyone's out there havin' a good time 'cept for you," he said, knowing his taunting would only serve to piss her off. He watched as she jumped up and began to yell things at him about his being sexist and an ass and other such profanities. He laughed as he listened to her. "Alright, calm down brat. You'll get yer turn."

Yuffie plopped down into a chair, staring out at the horizon. She was silent for a while, before she turned and looked up at Cid. "Why did you send Vincent and Tifa in alone?" she asked suddenly. She had been pondering this for some time now, and she felt confident that Cid had done it on purpose.

Cid looked down at her, surprise in his deep sky blue eyes. She never ceased to amaze him. Yuffie wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch, but she was damn perceptive when she wanted to be. "There's somethin' goin' on 'tween them," he said after a moment's thoughtful pause. "Somethin' happened yesterday, and I figured if I made them work together, they'd get over bein' mad at each other."

Yuffie frowned. "You noticed it too, huh?" she asked, standing and pacing the floor. "Tifa did seem kinda distracted this morning. I couldn't figure out what was going on, but I guessed it had something to do with Vince, 'cause she didn't tell him good morning like she always does."

Cid watched her pace some more, frowning. He was curious to find out what she knew. "Have you seen them together lately?" he asked.

Yuffie paused, thinking deeply for a second. "Well, I did see her when she came back to her room this morning," she said, thinking aloud. "She was still in her nightgown, which I thought was weird, 'cause normally she's dressed before she leaves to get breakfast, which means she probably hadn't been coming back from the galley..…" She was silent for a moment, before suddenly gasping.

Cid glanced at her sharply, thinking something was wrong. "What is it?" he asked quickly, scanning the horizon for trouble.

"You don't think they're—" She blushed a little. "You know."

Cid stared at her funny for a moment, before his light blue eyes widened with realization. "Holy fuckin' shit!" he exclaimed. He was speechless for a moment, before he looked down at Yuffie. "I don't think Vince'd do that. Especially not with Tifa. He always says that Tifa's Cloud's, but I always knew he felt somethin' for her."

Yuffie giggled a little. This was great. She loved gossip.

_**At the Reactor**_

Tifa growled as she decked a Deep Ground soldier, smirking as she listened to him groan. _Serves you right,_ she thought, stepping over him. She looked over at where Vincent was standing, waiting for her at the entrance to the reactor's core. She walked over to him, noticing the frown on his face. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Vincent glanced at her. "We've reached the core," he said quietly.

"You're not worried about Chaos, are you?" she asked, her voice worried. She watched as he looked down at the ground, before shifting to take a single crimson orb from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment, before holding it out to her. "What is this?"

"It is some kind of materia that Shelke developed," he said, dropping it into her outstretched hands. "If something goes wrong, I want you to use it on me."

Tifa held it gently in her hands, cradling it for a moment. "Okay," she said softly, looking up at him. She could see the disconcerted look on his face, and she was starting to think that his unease had something to do with his little episode from earlier. She didn't know what to expect as he pushed open the door, but she knew it had a potential for going very wrong. She followed closely behind him as they stepped inside the core, and she gasped as she looked around.

The core was huge, radiating a brilliant green glow. Tifa grasped the edge of the rail, looking down. She felt waves of nauseous dizziness sweep her, and she stepped back, her back colliding with the wall. It was so far down, and the pit they hovered over was only bottomless until you hit the glowing mako below. She looked ahead, seeing that Vincent was already well ahead of her, making his way easily around the shaky walkway. Biting back a cry of surprise, she jogged after him, leaping down several steps to catch up with him. At the sound of her feet, he turned, arching a brow at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Tifa shook her head, noticing that his arms were crossed, and his gaze was shaded. She felt very uneasy as she watched him turn away and continue to forge steadily ahead. She followed a short ways behind him, watching him, noticing how rigid his shoulders had gone. Her unease intensified when he stopped suddenly, when they were about half way across, hunching over. She tilted her head, realizing he was in pain, and she ran to him, catching him as he collapsed suddenly.

"Vincent," she gasped, catching his shoulders and easing him to the ground. She noticed that his smooth face was contorted in pain, and beads of sweat were trickling down his temple. She felt afraid suddenly, and her voice cracked when she spoke. "Vincent, say something to me." She knew she needed to keep her cool, but the feeling that things were going very wrong wouldn't seem to leave her alone.

"I—it's C—Ch—Chaos," he managed, twisting in her arms as if to move to his feet. His eyes opened as he turned on his side, the claws of his gauntlet digging into the cement beneath them as he tried to fight back. "You…" he gasped, clutching his chest and bowing his head. "You have to….use the…..materia."

Tifa barely caught his words, but was too stunned to process what he was saying. His body had begun to transform, and she was frozen to her spot as black, leathery wings forced their way through his flesh. His gasps were lost on her ears as her eyes continued to take in the sight that was emerging before her. She could feel his blood from the injuries the wings had caused dripping on her hands, and it froze her to the floor as she stared down at it. It wasn't until a deafening roar filled the reactor that she looked up slowly, the sight before her making her heart freeze in her chest.

She could feel her body trembling and tears gathering in her eyes as she stared up at the beast staring down at her. "V—Vincent?" she breathed, her voice shaking uncontrollably. She screamed when the beast looked down at her, another roar passing its lips, and its fangs shimmering sickeningly in the soft mako glow. She scrambled backwards as it stepped toward her, its yellow eyes glittering malevolently. "Vincent!" she cried, feeling the tears flooding down her cheeks. "Snap out of it! It's me, Tifa!"

At this the beast chuckled. "Scream all you want, girl," it growled, advancing on her, "It won't matter. He can't hear you." It laughed as she managed to get to her feet and turn to run. "Running is useless," it snarled, leaping into the air. It landed in front of her, cutting off her escape and shaking the bridge. It laughed as she screamed and turned to flee in the opposite direction. "You won't make this a painless death, will you?" It leapt into the air, coming down behind her, tripping her as it sliced at her ankles with its talons.

"No!" Tifa screamed as she fell face down on the walkway. She rolled over quickly, crying out as searing pain shot through her legs, and feeling her head aching from where it had hit the cement when she fell. She felt blood trickling into her eyes, but she couldn't look away as the beast stepped toward her, kneeling to be on her level. She realized that she couldn't escape from it now, as her calves were now torn up so badly, she didn't think she could stand even if she possessed the strength. But nonetheless she tried to escape, grasping a bar of the railing and pulling herself backwards. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Chaos as it watched her, yellow eyes narrowed with what she could only assume was sadistic humor. She listened as it chuckled softly, before wrapping its claws around her mutilated leg and dragging her back toward him, forcing a cry from her lips.

"I can see now why Vincent feels so strongly about you," it purred, pulling her close enough that she was lying flat on the floor, as if she was trying to push herself through it to escape. "You are much prettier than that little whore that Hojo was fucking."

Tifa flinched, biting her tongue to silence her whimper when Chaos traced its claws along her jaw and down across her neck. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine, realizing how easy it would be for the beast to cut her throat and leave her here to bleed out. She couldn't look at it as it caught her chin roughly, turning her face toward it.

Chaos growled when she kept her eyes turned away. "I wonder if he would be upset if I got the chance to take you before he did," he mused to himself, knowing the effect it would have. He grinned a fangy smile when her eyes snapped to him, her hazel depths wide with fear.

"No, please," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. She didn't know if it was the fear or the pain from her injuries that caused them, but either way they slipped down her cheeks.

"That's right," Chaos growled, running a talon across the top of her blouse, effectively cutting it away. "Beg while I take you." It was easy for the beast to restrain Tifa as she fought back, her tears unchecked.

"No! Vincent, help me!" she screamed as the beast tore her clothes away. She could feel intense pain from her injuries as Chaos' weight pressed down on them, bringing a certain part of its body closer to hers, which was now bare. Tifa could feel her body trembling as Chaos placed open mouthed kisses across her throat, letting his fangs scrape against her skin, leaving marks behind.

"You are mine, Tifa," it growled, trailing its way down to her breasts, handling them roughly. It could tell that its ministrations were turning her on, but she refused to look at him as she bit her lip, tears trailing down her cheeks. After a moment, it growled, trailing lower and lower, smirking at the way it drew her terrified gaze. "That's right. You are my whore, Tifa. That's all you'll ever be to anyone."

Tifa clenched her eyes shut tightly, cursing her unfaithful body, which eagerly responded as his tongue plunged between her nether lips. She thought about trying to fight the monster off her, but she couldn't do anything, as her body had started to go numb. As a wave of heat washed over her, she drew a shallow breath, watching Chaos sit up, licking its lips.

"What a good little pet you are," it purred, moving back up to her throat, nipping lightly at her skin. "If you are any good, maybe I'll take you off your friends' hands, and you can become my slave."

Tifa gasped involuntarily, knowing he was only taunting her, but afraid all the same. "No," she squeaked. She closed eyes as she could feel him pressed against her. "Please."

"That's right," Chaos said, his yellow eyes glittering with hate. "Beg. Beg knowing that I won't hear you."

A scream was ripped from her throat as Chaos plunged into her, moving slowly within her at first, before pounding mercilessly into her trembling body. More tears flooded her eyes, even though she could feel her soul retreating to a dark corner in her mind. Her mind barely registered anything, save for the violation and the humiliation that flooded her senses. What would the others think when they found out? What would Cloud think? Or, still worse, what would Vincent think? She knew that he would be devastated when he found out what Chaos had done, but she was helpless to do anything, other than try to block out the pain as Chaos reached its release and pulled out of her, chuckling with smug satisfaction. She didn't hear the words it whispered in her ear, save for the last few that rolled off its lips.

"You are nothing but a whore, Tifa," it purred, licking the outside of her ear, causing her to cringe. "You're no better than that little Shinra slut. And now, you're mine. Vincent can never have you now. Hell, he won't even want you any more, now that I have defiled you."

Tifa turned her hazel eyes on it, feeling anger welling inside her, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Her once lifeless eyes blazed hotly, and she drew a slow breath. "Fuck you," she whispered. She knew everything it said was a lie, but she also felt its words hit something deep inside. Something she wished didn't exist: the tiny sliver of doubt that made her think Vincent could never see her the way she wanted him to.

She watched Chaos' eyes widen incredulously, just before it slapped her, her head snapping to the side. She felt her vision swimming from the force of the blow, but, miraculously, it was able to focus enough for her to realize what it was that was winking at her in the eerie glow. A small red orb lay next to her head, and without a second thought, she grabbed it, feeling it flare to life with the energy that she was supplying it. "Go to hell!" she yelled, shoving the materia into Chaos' face. She heard an unearthly scream pass its lips, before her anger left her, leaving her to succumb to her injuries and the damage done to her body and soul. She felt darkness consuming her as Chaos faded, his weight only to be replaced with that of Vincent's body on top of her, which, oddly, she found somewhat comforting, despite the situation. She was pretty sure it was just the shock of everything, but as she faded into oblivion, she could hear Vincent's name roll softly off her lips.

_**With Vincent**_

Vincent felt his mind slowly resuming its conscious thought, and the first thing that registered was the migraine that assaulted his senses. He lifted his hand to his head, groaning softly as he tried to lift it, feeling as if he had bricks tied to his neck. After a moment, he realized he was lying on something, and he opened his eyes slowly, looking down. He closed them just as quickly, wanting to die right there. What had Chaos done? What had _he_ done?

He sat up slowly, feeling his body aching at the movements. He drew a shaky breath as he pulled his cloak off, using it to cover Tifa's bloody and naked body. He couldn't believe this had happened. He couldn't believe that he had lost control of Chaos. He felt something akin to tears misting in his eyes as he leaned over Tifa, softly touching her face. How had he let this happen? Why hadn't she used the materia to subdue him?

"Oh gods, Tifa," he whispered, letting his forehead rest against hers, anguish on his face. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, but I know that won't make any of this better. I don't know how I let this happen." He pressed his lips to her forehead as he pulled her toward him. "Gods, I'm so sorry." He held her tightly, hearing her whimper softly as her eyes fluttered a bit.

"Vi…Vincent?" she breathed, her hazel eyes opened slightly.

Vincent wrapped his cloak tighter around her, pulling her into his lap. "Oh god, Tifa, I'm so sorry," he said, brushing her hair from her face. He felt choked as she closed her eyes, her face pale.

"Is Chaos…?" she breathed, turning her face toward his chest. He could see silver tears on her cheeks, and he instantly knew what she was asking.

"He's gone," Vincent whispered, pulling her against him. He felt her sob softly against his chest, and he held her tighter. "He's gone." He stared across the reactor, feeling as if it was he who had done this to her, and not Chaos. He knew he was unworthy to have her in his arms, but he couldn't do anything else as her heart-wrenching sobs reached his ears. With each ragged breath she drew, he felt as if knifes were being repeatedly plunged into his heart. He didn't want to know what Chaos had done to her, even though he had a damn good idea. He felt her fist close around his shirt as her sobs finally began to subside. "I'm so sorry, Tifa," he whispered again, knowing he could never atone for what had happened to her. He met her gaze as she looked up at him, her hazel eyes shaded with pain, but still filled with gratitude and happiness.

"You're okay," she whispered, resting her hand against his cheek. He leaned into her touch, feeling his eyes misting over again. It wasn't fair. How could she be so concerned about his well being, when here she was, bleeding out in his arms.

"But you're not," he breathed, his voice shaking. "We have to go back." He started to lift her broken body, only to stop as she cried out softly.

"No," she gasped, clenching her teeth, her fist tightening its grip on his shirt. She opened her eyes when he stopped moving, meeting his crimson gaze. Her eyes softened as the pain subsided. "You have to get to Reeve."

"But I can't leave you here like this," Vincent said frantically, searching her gaze, which was calm, despite the obvious pain. "You'll die."

"Just…." She gasped suddenly. "Just radio Cid and Yuffie," she managed, her face twisted with pain. "They can take care of me."

Vincent stared down at her as she breathed heavily, noticing the puddle of red that was surrounding them and seeping into his clothing. "I won't leave you," he said firmly, cradling her as she blinked blearily up at him. "It's my fault this happened to you, and I won't leave you to suffer here alone."

Tifa closed her eyes as another wave of pain washed over her, a little smile coming to her face. "I love you so much, Vincent," she whispered, her eyes remaining closed. "This could never be your fault. I could never hold this against you."

Vincent stared at her, certain she was delirious. "You don't know what you're saying," he said softly, caressing her cheek. "You don't really love me. You'll realize it later, once you're safely aboard the_ Shera_."

Tifa laughed softly, her body limp in his arms. "I do love you," she breathed, her breaths becoming slow and long between. "You just don't know how much." Her head tilted slightly as she lost consciousness again, and Vincent tried to fight down the panic rising inside him.

"Oh damn," he breathed, patting her cheek. "Tifa? Tifa, stay with me." He scowled, feeling tears finally rolling down his cheeks. "Don't you dare die on me, Lockhart. Don't you dare!" His hands were trembling violently as he dug out his phone, calling Cid. _Please hold on, Tifa._

_**On the Shera**_

Yuffie jumped when Cid's cell phone began to ring. She looked up at the pilot questioningly, seeing his eyebrows knit together as he looked at the caller ID. "It's Vincent," he said, thoroughly confused.

"Well, don't just stand there! Answer it!" Yuffie yelled, moving to her feet. She felt a sense of dread as Cid shot her a glare, before answering. Vincent never phoned any one, especially not when he needed help. It was annoying as all get-out, but no matter what Vincent always somehow managed to emerge from the tight spots with nothing more than a scratch. Something had to be terribly wrong for him to be calling.

"Yeah, what is it, Vince?" Cid demanded as he answered. Yuffie watched his face, noticing instantly the way the pilot's face paled as he listened to Vincent talk. After a minute, he nodded slowly. "We'll be right there. Just hang in there." Then he hung up.

Yuffie stared at him expectantly as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Well, what's going on, old man?" she yelled, trying to cover up her feelings of terror. She stilled instantly when Cid turned his sky blue gaze on her, his eyes deadly serious.

"Chaos reawakened," he said quietly, looking away only to flip the autopilot switch. "Tifa's hurt real bad, and we have to go get her. Vincent said that the last thing she told him to do was save Reeve." He stepped down from the helm, walking over to Yuffie. "We're to retrieve Tifa, and Vincent will help out Reeve and the others." He placed a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, seeing the shock on her face. "You think you can handle this? Vince said she's bled out pretty bad already."

Yuffie felt like she was going to hurl, but she nodded anyway, following the ornery pilot as he stormed out of the cockpit. _Damn it, Vince, I hope you haven't fucked things up too bad._


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**At the Reactor**_

Cloud looked up at Barrett as the gunman slid beside him, crouching behind the rock he was hiding behind. He watched the gunman nod, giving the signal, before drawing out his phone and calling Cid. He listened to it ring several times, frowning when Cid's voicemail picked up.

"Hey, this is Cid, and I ain't here, so leave me a fuckin' message and I'll decide if I wanna call ya back or not."

Cloud rolled his eyes. It figures the pilot wouldn't answer. "It's Cloud," he said quietly, hoping he could be heard over the sound of the gun fire. "Have you gotten any word from Vincent or Tifa yet? Call me back when you hear anything." Then he hung up.

"No answer, huh?" Barrett asked, shooting a little at the Deep Ground forces. He glanced at Cloud, seeing his frown. "Somethin' wrong, Spiky?"

Cloud shook his head slowly, replacing his phone. "I hope Vincent and Tifa find Reeve soon," he said quietly, mostly to himself. He listened to Barrett grunt, before both he and gunman left their hiding spot to continue their barrage.

_**Aboard the Shera**_

Dead silence followed Cid and Yuffie as they made their way back to the ship, Tifa's unconscious body stretched on a gurney between them. Neither of them could look at her. Cid's hands were shaking as he helped Yuffie carry her to the sick bay, and when Yuffie caught a glimpse of his face, all she could see was righteous fury. She supposed the only thing that kept her and Cid from throwing Vincent off the bridge when they found him was the fact that they had never seen him so devastated before as he cradled Tifa in his arms. If there had been any uncertainty as to how he felt for her before, it was all erased, when they saw the tears trickling down his cheeks, and the way his eyes shown with the purest hurt they'd ever seen in his normally stoic face.

When she and Cid had put Tifa on the gurney, Yuffie had to remind herself not to stare at the gunman, who, for a long time, remained unmoved on the floor, his hands covered in Tifa's blood. She had no idea what had gone on down here, but it was pretty apparent that whatever happened, Vincent was blaming himself. Just before they took her away, she had watched Vincent rise to his feet, walking over to them. The words that he whispered to Tifa in parting made Yuffie's heart freeze in her chest.

"I love you, too, Tifa. I swear I will make things better. No matter how long it takes."

Yuffie had stared at him then. His words were soft, but full of conviction and longing, and love. She had to remind herself to breathe as their eyes met for a moment, his expression unreadable. Her first thought, as she watched him turn and start across the reactor, was that this was so unfair. Tifa's attack, Vincent's love for her; it was all just so unfair. But then she had looked up, her eyes meeting Cid's, and she remembered that, though there had once been a time when she was head over heels for Vince, that time had since passed. She knew it was way too soon to tell, but she was starting to think that the ornery pilot across from her was a better guy than she gave him credit for.

Yuffie blinked from her thoughts as Shelke came into the sick bay, stopping in her tracks when she saw Tifa. "Oh gods," she whispered, slowly nearing to get a better look, her deep blue eyes wide. After a careful moment of surveying her, she pulled back Vincent's cloak, which was still wrapped around her, to reveal bite marks on Tifa's neck. "It was Chaos, wasn't it?"

Cid grunted an affirmative, and Yuffie could only watch as Shelke's eyes fell.

"And Vincent?" she whispered, seeming afraid to here the answer.

"He looked like he wanted to shoot his damn self," Cid ground out. Yuffie could only assume that he was trying to hold back his anger and his disgust of the whole situation.

"He was not transformed, then?" Shelke asked, continuing to pull the cloak back to further examine Tifa.

"No," Yuffie said quietly, looking away, hoping to preserve whatever modesty Tifa had left. She watched Cid turn his back to the girl, excusing himself with a curse, and lighting a cigarette on his way out. Yuffie glanced at Shelke. "Is there any thing I can do?"

Shelke paused, looking up at her, surprise on her face. "Of course," she said, the surprise in her voice. "Help me get her to the tank. We need to get her in stasis to stop the bleeding."

Yuffie nodded, grateful she could help, but still weirded out by the sight of Tifa's blood.

_**At the Helm**_

Cid let a string of curses fly loudly from his lips as he marched back to the helm, taking control of the ship. It made him feel a bit better, as he felt that at least now there was something he could force to go his way, but seeing Tifa and Vincent just now had really shook him up. He pulled his phone from his pocket, seeing that he had a missed call. Deciding quickly, he rang Cloud, telling him to get his stupid ass down the reactor to help Vincent rescue Reeve. When Cloud asked, Cid didn't go into details about Tifa. He simply to him that she had been injured and was being treated, which left Vincent to go on alone. When Cloud said nothing, Cid could feel the tension in the air. Before Cloud got a chance to question him further, Cid growled that he wanted Barrett back at the ship ASAP, then hung up. He knew he'd been in a heap of shit later with Cloud, but he couldn't tell him the whole truth for fear that he'd come straight back here, leaving Vincent to handle Deep Ground on his own, which, it was painfully clear now, he couldn't.

_**Inside the Basement**_

Vincent spun around as a hand landed softly on his shoulder, placing the barrel of Cerberus to Cloud's temple in a simple yet swift move.

"Easy, Vince," Cloud said quietly, arching a brow at the gunman. "I'm on your side, remember?"

Vincent frowned, lowering his weapon. He watched Cloud's eyes sweep over him, a frown marring the blonde's face.

"Something's missing….." he said thoughtfully, sheathing his buster sword.

Vincent rolled his eyes, turning away from him. "This is not the time for jokes, Cloud," he said sternly, crouching behind a crate and looking around. "Tifa was injured, so I used my cloak to cover her."

"What happened to her, Vince?" Cloud asked, kneeling beside him. "Cid wouldn't say."

"Then neither will I," Vincent whispered, thankful for once to the sharp-tongued pilot. His lips were sealed as Cloud probed him further, realizing that he would not be swayed. Finally the swordsman sighed.

"Alright, where to now?" he asked, feeling at a loss. He was becoming worried about Tifa. He could tell when his friends were not talking because they didn't want him to hear bad news, and frankly, he felt a little jaded. Every one else knew by now. Why didn't he?

"Shelke's map says that they are keeping Reeve in that room, right across the way," Vincent said, pointing to a light, under which the faint outline of a door was visible. "I believe if we can get there, we'll be okay."

"Great," Cloud said, rising and drawing his sword. "Let's go then." He started forward, only to have Vincent hold out a hand to stop him.

"Idiot," Vincent growled, his crimson eyes darkened. "Don't you see the trip wires?"

Cloud's brow furrowed, and he looked ahead, his eyes widening, as indeed, here and there, a substance resembling fishing line twinkled in the faint light. "Good call," he said, kneeling once more beside Vincent. "How are we going to conquer this one?"

Vincent drew Cerberus, glancing around. He knew that somewhere around here was a control box, where the switches were that the wires ran to. If they could disable the box, they were home free. He stood when he finally caught sight of it. It was across the room, a formidable distance away, but he lined up a shot, taking it out with a single blow. He looked at Cloud as he lowered Cerberus, nodding. He watched as Cloud rose, starting forward, slicing through the wires easily with his sword.

Vincent rolled his eyes, slowly following behind Cloud. He watched as they neared the door, when a cold chill descended on him. He was sure Cloud hadn't noticed anything, as the swordsman continued on steadily, but he paused, turning to look over his shoulder. He didn't see any one behind them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He drew a short breath, taking a step after Cloud, when a shot suddenly hit the ground in front of him. He jumped slightly, staring stupidly at the hole smoking in the floor. He blinked the dumbness from his stare, slowly raising his gaze, realizing the shot had come from the roof. He let his gaze roam across the ceiling, seeing nothing at first. He started to alert Cloud, but his voice was silenced when a sharp pain sliced through his shoulder, sending him to his knees.

At the sound of Vincent falling to the floor, Cloud turned, surprised to see the gunman on his knees, cradling what looked like a gun shot wound to his right shoulder. He ran to Vincent's side, kneeling beside him. "Vincent? What happened?" he asked quickly, looking around for the offender who shot him.

"How did we miss it?" Vincent whispered, his voice not the least bit pained, but definitely shocked. He looked up, past Cloud's worried face, noticing for the first time the light of a sniper scope. He watched it move slightly, realizing that the sniper was lining up for another shot. His eyes widened slightly as his body acted of its own accord, shoving Cloud back, just as another bullet struck him, ironically at the same level that Cloud's head would have been at, had Cloud still been kneeling next to him. He grimaced against the pain, moving sluggishly to his feet, feeling blood seeping into his clothing. He looked up at Cloud, watching as the swordsman rolled to his feet, brandishing his sword.

When his mako eyes finally landed on Vincent, he realized what he had done, and he used his blade to deflect a bullet as it came whizzing at him. "Vincent!" he called, running toward the gunman. He couldn't see the snipers, but he could see the bullets as they flew at them, and he blocked them easily, catching the gunman as he collapsed. "Come on." He pulled Vincent's arm around his shoulder, supporting him. "We've got to get out of the line of fire."

Vincent grimaced again as the movement caused his injuries to protest, but he could already feel his body beginning to knit itself back together. Slowly, as Cloud lowered him to the floor under cover of some boxes, he could feel his strength returning, bringing with it anger. Those snipers would pay. He was pretty sure it was just the stress of the whole night he had endured so far, but something hot and burning inside him forced him to his feet as he drew Cerberus. Without warning, or much rational thought on his part, he stepped out from behind the boxes, easily dropping the two snipers that he instantly saw, due to the light of their scopes. For a moment, it was quiet, and then he heard the slight click of clips sliding into a chamber. Twirling around, he finished off a third one as well. As silence flooded over them, he turned to Cloud.

"Go in there and get Reeve," he said, gasping slightly as the adrenaline and anger faded. "I'll stand guard out here."

Cloud nodded, and vanished inside the door. It wasn't long before he returned, an unconscious Reeve slung over his shoulder, and several WRO soldiers following, relief and undying devotion on their faces. Vincent noticed immediately that Reeve's once bright blue outfit was stained with his blood, and from the look on Cloud's face, he assumed that Reeve had been hurt pretty badly. It didn't take much thought on anyone's part for them to get out of there, easily making their way to the roof, where they were to rendezvous with Cid and the _Shera._


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**Later that Night**_

Vincent was silent as he stared out the window of the galley. It was quiet, and he was alone, for which he was grateful. Needless to say, after everyone was safe and being treated aboard the _Shera_, he received quite a scolding from the pilot, and eventually even Cloud's silence began to wear on his conscience. He sighed as he gazed at the midnight sky, which was studded with twinkling diamonds that still seemed so far out of his reach, despite the fact that the ship was so high in the air.

He knew they were just worried about Tifa, and angry that he kept Chaos a secret, therefore keeping them from knowing what was going and, and unintentionally making it seem like he didn't trust them. Thinking about it made him feel sick. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see Tifa's frightened face, and he would want to hurl. He had seen everything Chaos had done to her, and he had been helplessly trapped, and unable to look away. He couldn't have done anything even if he had tried; and he did try. He fought as hard as he could against the demon's spell, but with the mako so near, there was nothing he could do to fight Chaos.

But he couldn't tell his friends that. He couldn't let them know that it was possible for him to lose control of Chaos, as they would send him packing the first chance they got. He was sure of it. And he didn't want to leave. Not now that he'd finally found a place to belong, and people who accepted him for who he was, and maybe even loved him. He let his head fall to his hand as he stood there. Was he destined to be naught but a lonely stone, forever frozen in the river of time? His knees buckled as nausea washed over him again, and he collapsed into a chair. This was worse than when he lost Lucrecia and Hojo killed him. Far worse.

_**In the Sick Bay**_

Reeve frowned as he stood at the control panel, gazing at Tifa in the stasis chamber. Her injuries had healed nicely, with the help of some materia, but she had yet to awaken. This troubled the man, and perplexed him to no end. All of her vital signs were good, and her brain showed no signs of damage, but it was as if her soul did not wish for her to awaken. His frown deepened as he sat slowly, his injured body, even though healed, sore and stiff. Something wasn't right, and there was only one person he could think of who may have even the slightest knowledge of how to bring her out of her seemingly self-induced coma. After spending a few moments checking her vitals again and typing notes on the computer, he stood slowly, grimacing, before leaving the sick bay. He knew exactly where he could find the person he was looking for, and he walked slowly to the galley, realizing instantly how late it was when he caught a glimpse of the night sky. He sighed shortly as he reached the galley, and the doors swung open with a quiet hiss.

When he stepped inside, he could immediately feel the other man's presence. He looked up, the lights off, seeing Vincent's silhouette against the starry sky. He watched as Vincent turned slightly to glance over his shoulder, his liquid crimson eyes glowing in the darkness. Reeve froze as their eyes met, noticing instantly that Vincent was clad in a simple dark red t-shirt, and black jeans with simple black boots. He watched as he turned away, crossing his arms, and he smirked a little, thinking it funny that even the gold-clawed gauntlet was gone. It struck him as odd; this was the most _normal_ the stoic gunman had ever looked. He vaguely wondered if this was how he dressed when his cloak was in the wash, and at the joke, he cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. That would be very inappropriate at this time. He listened to Vincent shift lightly.

"Something funny, Reeve?" he asked darkly.

Reeve shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. "No," he said quietly. He looked up at Vincent, realizing that even though his clothes were different, he was still the same as always. _Dang, and I was almost fooled into thinking that he didn't have the wisdom of someone twice his physical age._ He sighed shortly, sitting at a table. "Please sit, Vincent."

Vincent released a sigh that just barely hid his growl. "Why?" he asked, his voice holding a hint of anger and bitterness. "So you can drill me about what I did to Tifa?" He heard Reeve shift uncomfortably at this. He knew Reeve hated it when he was this way. He never raised his voice, but the hatred that was infused into it sometimes made Reeve wish he would.

"Come now, Vincent," Reeve said, staring at the table top in the light from the stars. "Don't make it sound worse than it was. We all know it was Chaos." He watched as Vincent turned slowly, and he flinched inwardly, thinking that he had really made the gunman mad. But that was until he saw that Vincent's ruby eyes were downcast.

"But….Chaos…." Vincent sighed heavily, as if a weight were sitting on his chest. "He is…..part of me." He looked up at Reeve, his expression unreadable. "Meaning that I…..I did this to her."

Reeve looked away, sighing. "You can't blame yourself," he said. "If anything, it was our fault for sending you in there, knowing that this could potentially have happened."

"But I should be strong enough to stop this from happening," Vincent said vehemently, though softly, stepping toward where Reeve sat. "I should have mastered Chaos by now."

"And you have," Reeve said, standing and leaning on the table. "Don't you even understand what happened, Vincent? You were exposed to higher levels of mako than is healthy for even Shelke, and she needs it to survive! There was no way you could have handled Chaos in there! That's why Shelke gave the materia to you to use."

Vincent looked away as he sank into a chair. "Damn it," he whispered, staring at the floor. "I hate it when you're right."

Reeve frowned, wondering what it was the gunman was thinking. He sighed, realizing that he had inadvertently gotten his wish, as the man was now sitting before him, seemingly unhappy, but not to the point that Reeve would have feared bodily injury. He was pensive for a moment, before he rested his hands on the table, spreading them out before him. "Listen, Vincent," he said quietly, staring at his hands. "We don't know what's wrong with Tifa. Her vitals have all returned to normal, and everything indicates that she should have woken up by now, but for some reason she hasn't." He looked up to see the ruby-eyed gunman staring at him. "I know that since we returned you haven't gone to see her." Reeve looked away, feeling uncertain. "Maybe if you did, she could hear your voice, and just maybe it would pull her out of whatever is going on in her head."

Vincent balked at Reeve's suggestion, leaning back in his chair. He had been certain that he would be banned from seeing Tifa ever again. In fact, if he was honest, he was sure that part of the reason he hadn't gone to see her was because he feared seeing again what Chaos had done. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing her again, especially not when the feel of her blood on his hands was still so fresh. "I don't know if that's such a good idea," Vincent whispered, staring incredulously at the table. "I don't know if she'd want to wake up to me being there."

Reeve leaned forward a bit, his eyes also trained on the table. "Cid and Yuffie have filled me in a little on what she last said to you," he said slowly, thinking. "I don't think that, if she told you she loved you, she would be upset with you being there." He looked up at Vincent, seeing the surprise on his face, as well as what looked like the closest thing to fear he'd ever seen in the gunman's ruby gaze.

"How do you know that?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Reeve smiled a bit, his eyes sympathetic. "Yuffie guessed it after what she heard you say to Tifa, and Cid backed her up saying that he knew you harbored feelings for her," he said easily.

Vincent had forgotten how perceptive Reeve was. He nodded slightly, looking away. "So you really think this is a good idea?" he asked. He listened to Reeve shift, and he looked up, seeing the man nodding.

"I do," he said, his voice soft and full of conviction. "I think that she needs you Vincent. Whatever it is that's keeping her inside her head, I think that you can break her out of it." He looked up, meeting Vincent's gaze. "I think she's waiting for you."

Vincent felt the impact of Reeve's words hit deep inside him. For a moment, his chest felt heavy with the weight that was now upon it, until he shook it off, standing slowly. "You know, Reeve, I never knew you were a romantic at heart," he said, trying to lighten the mood as he moved toward the door. He listened to Reeve chuckle softly.

"Neither did I," he said thoughtfully. He listened to Vincent's quiet footsteps as he left the galley, the doors closing behind him. Reeve let his eyes drop to the table, tapping it softly, hoping against hope that everything turned out alright.

_**With Vincent**_

Vincent sighed as he paused outside the doors to the sick bay, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He tried to ready himself for what he was about to do, but the minute the doors slid open, he knew no amount of courage in the world would prepare him for the gut-wrenching sight he was greeted with. He grimaced as he stepped slowly into the sick bay, noticing instantly the way the light of a single lamp illuminated Tifa's gentle face as she lay on a table, blankets pulled up to her chin. He took several slow steps toward her, hearing the faint sound of her heart as it beat evenly within her as she slept. He was grateful that she looked like her injuries had healed fine, but it was unnerving to see her lying there like that, so still that she may as well have been dead. His breath caught in his throat as he came within feet of where she lay, and he stopped, unsure if he could bring himself any closer. He could feel his chest constricting, and it was becoming increasingly more difficult for him to breathe. He blinked as he stared at her, his eyes foggy all of a sudden.

What had he done to her? What if she never woke up? He could never forgive himself, and he didn't even expect his friends to try to. He drew a ragged breath, stepping closer to Tifa. He let his hands rest gently on the side of the table, daring not to touch her. He stared down at her sleeping face, feeling his heart aching. He could feel regret welling inside him, its intensity startling him. Even after everything that happened last year, he'd never felt such an intense emotion as he did right now, as it slowly dawned on him that he had fallen hard for his hazel-eyed companion. He could remember the feel of her lips pressed softly against his, and the warmth of her body as she slept next to him, unaware of his eyes on her throughout the night. His mind had been in a restless flurry ever since, and, unthinkingly, he leaned forward slowly, pressing his lips softly to her forehead.

He was surprised to feel that she was warm; much warmer than he'd expected, and for a brief moment his worry seemed to fade a little. It was just as Reeve had said. She was fine, merely sleeping, and the sound of her heartbeat was clearer now that the panic had subsided from his head, leaving him in the empty room with her. He watched as she drew a deep breath and seemed to sigh, but otherwise didn't wake. His heart ached for her suddenly, and he leaned forward again, pressing his lips to hers.

"Please wake up, Tifa," he whispered. "Please, for me?"


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**With Tifa**_

Her mind was swimming in a haze of darkness. She knew she was asleep; she had to be. She couldn't move or see anything, but she wasn't afraid. It was like she was waiting. She didn't know for what, but she floated aimlessly through the haze, knowing she needed to be patient. She drifted for what seemed like an eternity and a second at the same time, before a soft white light began to cut through the haze.

_Tifa?_

Tifa's head snapped up, and she looked toward the light. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she looked up. Her eyes widened slightly, but she was not surprised by the emerald eyes that came into focus.

_What are you doing, Tifa?_

Tifa frowned. She couldn't find her voice, even though there were thousands of words she wanted to ask her friend. What _was_ she doing? She shook her head in reply. She truly didn't know.

_They're waiting for you, Tifa,_ Aerith's voice was soft and echoed lightly in the darkness, filling it with warmth and happiness. _Whenever you're ready, Vincent's worried about you._

Tifa's hazel eyes widened at the sound of his name, and she felt the lethargy leave her body. _Vincent?_ She sat up slowly, watching as Aerith smiled at her.

_Don't keep him waiting too long_. Tifa watched as the flower girl giggled softly, before waving at her. _See you around, Tifa_.

Tifa felt her eyes fill with tears. She wanted to call to Aerith for her to come back. There were so many things she wanted to ask her, and Cloud….. She wanted to tell her about Cloud and how much he missed her. But the pink flower girl was fading too quickly, and Tifa couldn't move or make her voice work. She felt panicked for a second, and her heart was aching as she watched her, but she could feel something different fighting for her attention. At first, she couldn't tell what it was, but soon it sounded like the soft hum of a voice. She felt it forcing her mind into a different kind of darkness, and she closed her eyes. For a while everything was dark, before a different kind of wakefulness came over her.

"Vincent." She groaned softly, his name all she could think of. "Vincent." She didn't realize she was saying it until she felt it roll off her lips, and it made her hazel eyes flutter slightly. When they finally opened and focused, she blinked and groaned again. The light that flooded her senses was too bright, even though she could tell it was dim, and she closed her eyes quickly. It made her head pound, and she whimpered, wondering what was going on. The last thing she remembered was the look on Vincent's face, and it made her heart twist painfully. She needed to speak to him. She needed to tell him she was alright.

But she couldn't remember why that was so important. She couldn't remember what had happened that she needed to reassure him, and that scared her. She felt a tear streak down her cheek. She didn't know what had happened to her. She felt fear engulf her, and for a moment she wanted to scream. She knew she was on the edge of losing it, when something cool pressed against her face.

"Shh, it's alright."

Tifa felt the fear subside a little, and she forced her eyes open, despite the blinding light. She felt a small smile slide across her lips. "Vincent."

"I'm here," he whispered, leaning close to her, his lips brushing against her forehead. "It's okay. You're safe now."

Tifa sat up quickly, throwing her arms around him, surprising him. His arms slowly came around to circle her, and Tifa heard him breathe a ragged sigh.

_**With Vincent**_

Vincent didn't think he'd ever been so relieved in his entire life. He held Tifa tightly against his chest as he listened to her whimper softly, and all he could do was whisper soft reassurances to her. He felt his heart twist painfully at the sound of her crying. After a moment, he held her at arms' length, pressing his lips lightly against hers. "I'm so sorry, Tifa," he said quickly, feeling the words leave him in a rush of breath. "If it hadn't been for me, none of this would have happened." He leaned back for a moment and looked into her eyes, instantly noting the confusion he saw there.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered, a disgruntled look on her face.

Vincent frowned, searching her gaze, feeling as if icy fingers were trailing down his spine. "Tifa, tell me, can you recall any of the past two days?" he asked quietly, feeling his chest clench and his breath catch.

Tifa looked away, a look of thoughtfulness crossing her eyes. "I remember going to the reactor," she whispered, her brow furrowing in concentration. "And I remember…..Reeve was in danger…and we were going to help him get out…..but we had a fight…." She trailed off, staring at the floor. She was becoming worried herself. She couldn't even remember if they had resolved the fight, since the last thing she recalled was getting on the hover boards. She swallowed thickly, afraid to look at Vincent.

"Do you recall what happened when we entered the reactor?" Vincent asked quietly. There was an odd edge to his voice that Tifa didn't like at all. She glanced at him slowly, feeling fright on her face when she saw the disconcerted look on his.

"No," she breathed, feeling her breath catch and stick in her throat. She felt tears clouding her eyes, and a desperate fear seized her. She looked up into Vincent's eyes, searching them quickly. She couldn't make her voice work as she watched his eyes soften with an odd emotion she couldn't understand. She knew something terrible had happened, and she felt a choked sob leave her.

Vincent felt terrible, and even holding her in his arms made him feel guilty and dirty and unworthy. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Unconsciously, he held her closer, letting her head rest over his heart.

"Why can't I remember?" she breathed quietly.

Vincent shook his head, unable to answer. "Don't worry," he whispered, placing his hands on her cheeks so he could look into her watery hazel eyes. He pressed his lips gently against her forehead. "You'll remember in time." He hoped that he sounded calm and convinced, because he certainly didn't feel it.

_**In the Cockpit**_

Reeve sighed heavily as he entered the cockpit. He glanced around, not surprised by the myriad of worried faces that assaulted him. He was surprised that no questions accompanied them. He paused, before glancing up at the helm where Cid stood, gazing down at him.

"Well?" the pilot asked, flicking ash from the end of his cigarette.

Reeve shook his head. "Vincent went to see her," he said softly. He flinched inwardly when Barrett scoffed loudly and Cloud turned away, the look on his face enough to make Reeve shudder. They hadn't taken Tifa's injuries well, especially not after they had heard the whole story. Especially Cloud. He'd been stony and silent all day, and he'd avoided Vincent to the point that it was obvious he was avoiding the gunman. In fact, it seemed like all of AVALANCHE had been avoiding their stoic friend.

"You have to forgive the man eventually," Reeve said quietly, walking closer to the group. He noticed Yuffie and Shelke standing near the window, silently observing. It was odd, since Yuffie didn't seem to have an "off" button most of the time, and just like Barrett, Cloud and Cid's behavior, it was nerve-wracking.

Cid scoffed before throwing his cigarette butt on the floor and squashing it out with the toe of his boot. "We don't have to forgive the man nothin'," he said gruffly. "We all know that he'll be beatin' his damn self up about it for the next thirty years." He shook his head, turning his sky blue gaze on his comrades. "Just like he did with that Lucrecia chick."

Reeve grimaced, looking at Barrett and Cloud. Both of them seemed to wince slightly, the truth in his words undeniable. "Just…..why didn't he fucking tell us?" Barrett demanded. A small chorus of agreement came from the others.

"He couldn't."

They all froze, turning to peer silently at Shelke, whose mako-infused gaze was glowing softly in the darkness of the night.

"What do you mean, he couldn't?" Cloud asked quietly. All eyes shifted to him, surprised by his first words in hours.

Shelke folded her arms behind her back, her mechanical eyes blank as she let them drift to stare at the floor. "It's simple really," she said monotonously. "How was he to know that he would lose control like that?" She shook her head. "It is as I have explained to Reeve. The levels of mako radiation he was exposed to where much higher than even I need to survive. There wasn't any way to be sure that Chaos would react so violently."

"But there was a chance," Cloud said. His mako-blue eyes were narrowed dangerously, his voice on the end of an angry out-burst, trembling despite its softness. He watched as Shelke looked away, and he took her silence as conformation. He gritted his teeth, clenching his hands tightly to restrain himself from drawing his sword and lopping Vincent's head off.

"Don't be stupid, Cloud," Yuffie snapped suddenly. She straightened from where she was leaning against the railing, pinning Cloud with a glare. "We all know that he and Tifa were the best suited for this job. No one else could have fought off the guards and Cid and I had to stay here in case of emergencies." She shook her head, the fire gone from her face. "We didn't have a choice. And besides," she shrugged, trying to lighten the mood, "Shelke gave them materia. So it wasn't like they went in unprepared."

Reeve glanced at Cloud, before looking up at where Cid stood silently at the helm. He could feel the tension among his friends, but he understood what they were all thinking. For once, Yuffie was right.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello all! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I'm glad to know I have such loyal readers!**

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**With Tifa**_

Tifa sat silently in the galley of the _Shera_, staring blankly out the window. It had been almost three days since the events in the reactor, and she still had yet to recall any of it. All she knew was that, no matter what she did, she couldn't escape Vincent's ever-watchful gaze. He hovered just on the edge of her vision, and usually when she made eye contact with him, he would frown guiltily, before looking away. It was in those moments that his silence, which used to be so comforting and easy, became a burden. She frowned as she pressed her forehead against the glass. What had she done that was so bad?

She wasn't surprised when the galley doors suddenly opened and footsteps carried inside. She was surprised, however, when she turned, and, instead of burning crimson, she came face to face with liquid blue.

"Cloud," she gasped, surprise on her face. He had been avoiding her like the plague. In fact, it seemed everyone had. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, coming to sit beside her. "I just wanted to check on you," he said softly. He let his hands rest on his knees as he looked at her, his eyes searching her face. "Do you feel alright?"

Tifa nodded slowly, holding his gaze. "I feel fine," she said quietly. She turned her eyes away to look out the window. She decided to leave out the bit about how disconcerted she was.

"Good," Cloud said. His eyes drifted over her carefully, as if he was mulling over his thoughts, before he nodded to himself. "We have another mission."

Tifa frowned. "Another mission?" she asked carefully. She watched as Cloud pulled out a paper. It had a ShinRa seal on it.

"Rufus has reported Deep Ground movement at one of the last remaining reactors to the north," he said.

Tifa swallowed thickly. "Okay," she said. She wasn't sure she was so ready, but Reeve had done extensive testing to determine that her memory loss was only from the time that she and Vincent were in the reactor. It made the loss more disturbing and frustrating, but somewhat reassured her that she was okay to fight.

Cloud must have sensed her thoughts, as he looked at her closely once more. "Do you think you can handle it?" he asked.

Tifa nodded. "I'm ready," she said. She rose slowly to her feet and stretched. "I feel fine."

Cloud nodded, standing also. "We'll rendezvous with Reno and Rude in the morning," he said.

After Tifa nodded, Cloud exited the galley, leaving her staring out the window once more. The sun had vanished beyond the horizon, ushering bright stars into the purple-hazed sky. It was beautiful, and Tifa stood for a while, watching the sky fade into blackness. Once the bright stars had fully risen into the sky, she sighed, feeling tired. She turned and left, heading down the hall toward her room. As she neared, she turned a corner, freezing when she realized she was at Vincent's door. She frowned at it.

The gunman had been sure to tuck himself away. It reminded her vaguely of when they had stumbled upon him in the ShinRa basement. He was cocooning, hiding away again. Tifa didn't like it at all. He barely said more than two words to her over the last few days, and she didn't understand what she had done that was so wrong. At first, she was very hurt, before she suddenly felt anger bolster her.

Everyone was vehement that it hadn't been her fault. So why was he acting this way?

She lifted a hand to pound on his door, but froze. The memory of their kiss assaulted her suddenly. She lifted a hand to her lips, feeling the memory tingling on them still. She thought back to how he had been watching her since she woke up, as if he had to be sure she didn't get hurt, but at the same time fearing that if he was too close, he might be the cause of her pain.

She was so confused. She had thought Vincent cared about her, but now….Now she couldn't tell.

Feeling frustrated again, she raised her fist again, slamming it into the door. "Vincent!" she called, pounding harder. "Open this door!"

She heard shuffling inside, before the door suddenly opened. Faint light flooded from inside, casting a shadow over Vincent's face. He said nothing as he stared at her, his crimson eyes flashing in the dark. For a moment, Tifa almost lost her nerve, before she shouldered her way inside, shutting the door behind her.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded. She watched as he stared at her, a single brow arched.

"I am uncertain as to what you are referring to," he said slowly.

Tifa scowled. "Cut the shit, Vincent," she snapped angrily. "You've been avoiding me like the goddamn plague." Helplessness flooded her suddenly. "Tell me what I did!"

Vincent's brow furrowed, and he looked away. He crossed his arms, and Tifa noticed for the first time that he had shed his cape and tossed it over the back of the desk chair. The faint light was coming from the lamp and the computer screen on the desk. "It wasn't anything you did," he said after a brief silence. "It was what I—" He bit off his words, shaking his head. "What _Chaos_ did."

Tifa's eyes widened suddenly. "Chaos?" she whispered. She wracked her fragmented memories of the last few moments. "You never said anything about Chaos still being alive inside you."

Vincent pressed his finger tips against his forehead, trying to ward away a headache. "He wasn't," he said quietly. He shook his head. "I do not wish to speak of it."

Tifa put her hand on Vincent's arm, drawing his gaze. "What happened?" she asked, searching his face.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you," he said. Pain flashed through his crimson eyes. "You must remember on your own." He turned away suddenly. "And once you do, I'm not sure…."

Tifa stared at his back. "Not sure of what?"

Vincent shook his head. His raven hair fluttered around his face and shoulders. "Just leave it, Tifa," he said, his voice weary. "If you remember, then good, but you would probably be better off not knowing."

Tifa circled around him to face him. Guilt was written all over his face and he couldn't hold her gaze. "Was it really that bad?" she whispered.

The pain intensified, and he stared at her. He was silent for a long moment, wishing he could will her into knowing how he felt. This secret was tearing him apart inside. It was killing him to know that he had almost _killed _her, and she had no memory of it. She was blissfully unaware that Chaos had done all those horrible things…Vincent flinched at the thought, wishing he could just fade into nothing in that moment. He felt as if he was suffocating suddenly, and he gently grabbed her elbow, leading her to the door.

"You must leave now," he said darkly. He couldn't be around her. He cared about her so much that it made him feel weak and dirty and he wished he was just dead. He looked up at her when she suddenly wrenched her arm from his grip.

"You suck, Vincent," she hissed, her hazel eyes suddenly angry. "I hate you so much right now." Her voice was a dangerous whisper, and Vincent could see her trembling. "I thought you cared about me."

Vincent felt as if she had just run him through with a knife. How could he explain? How did he make her see and understand? He cared about her more than she knew. Hell, he was fairly certain that he _loved_ her, and that intensified the guilt. How could he protect her, when it was him she needed protection from? He didn't respond, unable to find words to say. He let Tifa misread his silence, hurt flashing in her eyes.

"So that's it then, is it?" she asked softly. "You lied about everything." When he remained silent, she bit her lip and turned away. She said nothing as she opened the door and left, closing it softly behind her.

Vincent decided that he had to end it. She already hated him and felt like he betrayed her, so what more was there to lose. He could never get her back when she realized what had happened in the reactor, and he would be a fool to try to foster that hope now. No matter how much he wanted her, no matter how much he wanted to fix things with her, he couldn't. He felt foolish and angry suddenly. Tifa had never been his, and now she never would be.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**The Next Morning**_

Tifa could feel the weariness on her face. She hadn't slept at all, her discomfort at her amnesia and her fight with Vincent preventing her from finding rest. She felt her heart ache at the thought of the dark gunman. How had she let herself get so lost in him so easily? She should have known better.

She shook her head at the thought, flipping the blankets off her legs and getting up to get dressed. She wanted to punch her reflection as she brushed her dark brown hair. She couldn't stand looking at herself. She felt so confused and, for some reason she couldn't explain, unworthy. She wondered if that's what everyone else thought of her; if that's what Vincent thought of her. Sure, it wasn't her fault and all that other bull shit, but they were ostracizing her. What had happened?

She gritted her teeth in frustration for the millionth time. Gods, how she wished she could just remember. She just wanted things to go back to normal. She wanted her life back and for her friends to stop staring at her with guilt and uncertainty on their faces. And she wanted Vincent…

Well, that was just it, wasn't it?

She wanted Vincent. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything or anyone, even Cloud. Her heart ached and yearned for him in a way that she was unfamiliar with. There was something about Vincent that was perfectly alluring, some magnetism she couldn't explain. The only thing stopping her were his carefully built defenses. It was as if he had a wall around himself, and he might have started to let her in, but now he was rebuilding, pushing her out.

She sighed in disgust, pulling on her shoes and walking to her door. She had just stepped into the hallway, when Yuffie suddenly came out of her room. Tifa felt hesitant as she and Yuffie stared at each other for a fraction of a second, before Yuffie smiled.

"Hey Teef!" she greeted, stepping up to her friend, entwining her arm in Tifa's. "Ya hungry?" She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way. "I'm _starving_."

"Sure," Tifa said. She let Yuffie lead her toward the galley, already able to smell the soft, warm scent of breakfast being made.

"Wow, that smells wonderful!" Yuffie said excitedly, practically dragging Tifa behind her. She released her arm as they entered the galley, and Tifa froze in the doorway.

She was taken aback by the normalcy in the room as she entered. Her friends were all gathered at the central table, and she recognized five friendly faces amongst them. She watched as Reno laughed and joked with Yuffie as she neared, while Rude and Barrett conversed in their gruff voices. Cloud and Rufus were speaking quietly, and Tifa saw that Rufus' skin was perfectly pale, void of the illness that had plagued him and Cloud previously. Tseng and Elena were standing a little off to the side, and Tseng was speaking softly with Vincent.

A frown pulled at her lips as she watched Vincent and Tseng. She guessed it came with being an ex-Turk, but Vincent was speaking easily with the other quiet man, almost as if they were old friends. Elena was listening intently, nodding politely and smiling thinly. Tifa felt sudden jealousy flare inside her when Elena laughed suddenly, humored by something Vincent had said, causing Vincent to smile in return. She gritted her teeth and crossed her arms tightly to keep herself in check.

"Tifa?" Cloud's voice was a grateful interruption at that moment.

She turned her hazel eyes toward him, having caught Vincent's shaded gaze at the mention of her name. She watched Cloud wave her over, and she walked toward him. She watched as he glanced around, garnering everyone's attention.

"Listen up everyone," he said in his quiet voice. "Rufus has information on our mission."

Tifa took a seat next to Cloud as Rufus stood. "Thank you," Rufus began. Tifa sighed, feeling like this was going to be boring. Rufus had quite a penchant for turning everything into an address instead of conversation. "First off, let me say that while our efforts with Mr. Tuesti and the WRO are heeding beneficial results, we have not yet managed to completely obliterate the Deepground strain."

Tifa rolled her eyes. _No duh_.

"But," here Rufus paused, reaching into a case on the table before him, "we have managed to hack their system and extract valuable information." He smirked lightly as he laid a map on the table. "Their biggest outpost is in the catacombs that connect the Midgar reactors." Rufus glanced up here. "I'm sure you all remember the assault there some years ago. While we managed to stop the Tsviets, we did not manage to wipe out the rest of Deepground. Apparently, they have been rebuilding."

Cloud frowned. "Who is leading this?" he asked.

Here Rufus frowned as well. His eyes were shaded. "That is unclear at this time," he said slowly, his voice darkening as if this lack of information was a personal failure.

"So what is our directive, Boss-man?"

Tifa arched a brow and turned to look over her shoulder at the red-headed man behind her. He smiled smugly at her, smooching slightly to her, causing her to roll her eyes. Cocky bastard.

"Your _directive_, Reno," Rufus said sharply, "is, firstly, not to harass the people who are helping us, and secondly, to destroy Deepground by any means necessary."

Reno snorted lightly. "Sir, yes sir." He feigned a salute. He winked at Tifa when she shot him a smug glare, causing her to roll her eyes.

As she turned away from him to focus back on Reeve, she happened to glance over at Vincent. She didn't miss the way he was glaring daggers at Reno, and it made her heart skip a beat. Even if he was trying to act aloof, it was obvious he was still thinking about her.

"Well then," Cloud said, rising to his feet. "We'll adjourn for now." He glanced over at Cid, who was sitting next to Yuffie, helping her devour a massive stack of pancakes. "What's our next move, Cid?"

Cid glanced up, using the back of his hand to wipe at his mouth. "I gotta refuel, and then I'll fly this baby out to the northern reactor," he said, before indecently cramming more food into his mouth.

"Alright," Cloud said. "Everyone needs to be back here this evening to go over battle plans." He glanced at Rufus, his glittering blue eyes shaded with the weight of what they had to do. "We start at dawn."

Rufus nodded, before turning and signaling to the Turks. He handed Cloud the map he had, before nodding and shaking Cloud's hand and disappearing out the door.

"See you guys later then," Reno said, sacheing passed Tifa.

Tifa said nothing as he shot her an appraising look. She had never really had a thing for cocky, pretty boys, and Reno pretty much fit that stereotype to a T. She was pretty disgusted by him, so she remained silent as he walked by, instead turning to Rude. As per usual, he said nothing, but he angled his head toward her in a polite farewell, to which she responded with a simple wave and a small smile. Tseng and Elena crossed the front of the room silently, having only bid Vincent goodbye. Tifa supposed it was to be expected. Tseng and Elena kept mainly to each other, but they owed Vincent for when he saved their asses back during the fiasco with Kadaj and his brothers.

Once the trouble exited, Tifa glanced at Cloud. "I guess I'm going to lie down," she said, feeling suddenly weary again.

Cloud frowned, concern in his eyes, but he nodded.

_**With Vincent**_

Vincent watched Tifa speak softly to Cloud. He didn't pay much attention to her words, his eyes trained on her face. She looked exhausted. He felt his chest constrict as he watched her leave. They couldn't expect her, or him for that matter, to do well in battle tomorrow, not to mention the fact that every time he looked at her, all he felt was sudden and intense guilt. He wished he could go to her and hold her in his arms and comfort her, but he remained frozen to where he stood, choosing to let her go.

"Hey Vinnie!"

Vincent scowled, looking down at the annoyance beside him. "Yuffie," he said gruffly.

"I'm about to go into town," she said brightly, unaware of his distaste for her. "Would you like to accompany me?"

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Of course," he said. He wished he could decline, but he didn't feel right about letting her wander around town alone. She needed company, not to mention someone to control her sticky fingers. He sighed inwardly at the thought that he had probably just signed his own death wish.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the delay. Had a lot going on between college, moving, and no internet. Hopefully this makes up for it, and I promise I will try to update soon!**

**Disclaimer: All the characters herein are property of Square Enix, except for any OCs, which may or may not appear.**

_**In Midgar**_

Vincent sighed, his arms crossed tightly as he followed Yuffie through the Midgar market place. They were in a rather run-down area, and, after about an hour or so of traipsing after the young ninja, Vincent was ready to go back to the _Shera_. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the neighborhood, despite the fact that he and Yuffie both were more than capable of defending themselves.

"Where are you taking me?" he said, breaking his stony silence for the first time that morning.

Yuffie grinned, looking at him over her shoulder. "You'll see," she said. She twirled to face him, the bags hanging from her arms fanning around her. "I thought since we were in the neighborhood, we should visit an old friend."

Vincent pressed his lips together tightly. He felt his face smooth and his heart skip in a strange way. He glanced up the street, feeling a strange peace wash over him. "The church…"

Yuffie's laugh was a little refreshing as she took off in a jog. Once she reached the church doors, she paused, turning to motion him to come on. He sped up his walk and was soon by her side.

The soft scent of flowers hit his nose as she pushed the doors open, revealing sunlight beaming down into the garden from the broken beams. Vincent felt his heart flip flop strangely in his chest. This whole place whispered of the girl that had once been here, and memories of the last time they were here flooded his mind as he stepped to the edge of where he recalled the pool of water having been. He remembered the relief he had felt as he had watched his comrade rise from the water, his pale skin perfect and healed from the geo stigma; he remembered the happy laughter of the children as they, too, were healed; and he remembered the look on Cloud's face…the one that said _she_ was there.

On impulse, Vincent turned, glancing at the open doorway. He had felt her there, too. He felt her there now, but in a different sense. Her happiness surrounded them like the warmth from the sunlight. His crimson gaze found Yuffie as he turned back, seeing her kneeling in the flower bed.

"So many memories, huh, Vince?" she asked, plucking a yellow bud from the rest.

Vincent nodded slightly. "Hn."

Yuffie turned to look at him, grinning. "What do you think Aerith would say if she could see us today?" she asked whimsically.

Vincent was silent for a moment. His eyes drifted around the run-down church, before back to Yuffie. "How do you know she doesn't?" he asked cryptically. He stepped closer to the garden, before sliding into a front row pew.

Yuffie nodded, picking another flower. "I think she does," she agreed softly. "And I think she's pleased."

Vincent watched the ninja for a while, noting that her fingers were twisting the flower stems into a braid. He realized that, while his thoughts hovered at the back of his mind, this place was full of peace, and it eased the trouble from his spirit for just long enough for him to relax. He ducked his chin, hiding a small quirk of his lips behind his cape. Even though she was not physically among them, Aerith still knew what her friends needed.

_**Aboard the Shera**_

Tifa's mind was restless as it swam in darkness. She could feel something tickling at the back of her mind, and she realized that she was standing alone in a dark room. She felt an eerie prickling at her skin, like eyes watching her, and she spun quickly, looking around.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

A rumble filled the darkness, and glittering yellow eyes suddenly appeared, as well as a fangy grin.

Tifa gasped, stumbling back a step, before composing herself. "Chaos," she growled.

The beast stepped forward, the darkness falling away from him like a cloak. "Did you think you would get rid of me that easily, Tifa?" he asked, grinning darkly as he stalked toward her. "I live in your _soul_ now, my dear Tifa." He lifted a taloned finger to drag it across her shoulder.

Tifa shuddered. "What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, her jaw tightened to stop her words from shaking.

Chaos suddenly grabbed her, slamming her into a wall that suddenly appeared behind her. "Just because you like to block me out doesn't mean I've left," he snarled angrily. "You will _never_ escape me." He bared his fangs. "I own you, Tifa. You are _mine_."

Tifa flinched at the raw power and hatred that flared around him. She turned her face away from him as he leaned in. He reeked of burning flesh and hell-fire. "I will never belong to you, you monster," she said quietly. She gasped in pain when he suddenly flung her onto the ground.

"You will be mine," he said. He didn't move, his sickly yellow eyes pinning her with a deadly glare. "You will remember me in time, and when you do…" He grinned in sick pleasure. "Well, let's just say that no one will want you then."

Tifa shut her eyes tightly, trying to block the monster out as pain suddenly assaulted her body. She felt vague memories attached to it, and she screamed as she suddenly felt as if she was falling. It was the sound of her own gasping breaths that jolted her awake from the dream, and she sat up quickly, sweat slicking her brow.

Her hazel eyes shot wildly around her room, and it took several long, desperate moments for her to realize that she was safely aboard the _Shera_, blessedly alone. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she brushed the sweat from her face with the back of her hand. Her body ached dully in remembrance of pain, and she shut her eyes tightly.

_Chaos._

This had something to do with Chaos. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling as if her chest was constricting. Vincent's refusal of her made sense now. Pieces to her mystery were slowly making sense, but her mind was in a haze. What had Chaos done? And what did he mean she was his?

She realized she was trembling as she got to her feet. She felt terribly alone suddenly, and she got up, pulling on clothes and shoes. She had just opened the door of her room and had taken one step into the hall when a shadow fell over her. She glanced up sharply, surprised to see the dark-haired gunman standing before her.

His crimson gaze was worried as he looked at her. "Are you ill?" he asked softly.

Tifa felt her brain struggling to process his words and his presence. She realized he was staring at her expectantly, and she gulped, looking away. "I'm fine," she said quietly. She knew he didn't believe her, but he nodded.

"Cloud is asking for everyone," he said softly. He watched her hazel eyes flit back up to him, and he noted that she looked absolutely exhausted as she nodded. He wished there was something he could say, but it killed him to think that he was the cause of this. Feeling his heart twist sickeningly, he turned and began to walk away.

The walk with Yuffie had done some good, but it had only made it more apparent what he needed to do, but it would have to wait until after the meeting or after the battle.

He owed it to Tifa to explain.


End file.
